Sabre
by Pope-Man
Summary: When neither the light nor the dark can rule in a man's soul, how will the Guild of Heroes see him? Under revision. Chapters updated: Prologue and Chapter 1 and 2 Spoilers are in the reviews. Please don't read other reviews so you may avoid seeing said spoilers. Rated T for some gruesome violence.
1. Prologue

In Albion, as in other realms of existence, there are two forces that are ever-present. Two forces that clash together in a magnificent display of violence and conflict. Good and Evil. Some will stand among the common folk virtuous and heroic doing the right thing at any personal cost earning the respect of their fellow man. This was the story of the great warrior Avatar. But some will place themselves above others demanding the respect through fear. This was the story of the terrible sorcerer Maleficus. Despite the differences between these two men, they shared one thing in common. They were both heroes. In the eyes of the Heroes Guild, what made a hero was not alignment but rather the magnitude of the deeds he performed. The training he received. The intention to stand out amongst others as a shining beacon whether it be a beacon of Good or Evil.

But what of those who did not receive this training? What of those who merely acted with little care for the concepts of Good and Evil or standing out? Sabre was only a woodsman though some would call him a bandit. He prowled through the forests of Albion preying on traders. When they told stories of him, they spoke of a tattooed bandit who leapt from the trees and robbed them blind. But never a scratch. Never a bruise. The traders remained unharmed. The Guild was in an uproar. Sabre had become notorious but no hero had ever seen his face. Bounties had been placed. Warnings had been posted. The greater heroes were too wrapped up on their own personal conflicts to address the issue so Sabre went uninterrupted…for a time.

**Author's Note: I began writing Sabre shortly after my seventeenth birthday. It's been about six years and looking back, I realized I could have done a lot better with the writing. Motivations of the characters aren't all that clear or even thought out very well and I approached characters like Maleficus with a juvenile sense of evil. I figured I could do better and if I were to continue having this story up, I would do just that. So I'm rewriting Sabre from start to finish. If anyone who used to read it is still around, I hope you enjoy the improvements and I hope the new readers enjoy the story their first time around. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Skorm's Bow

**UPDATED**

Sabre had heard murmurs about legendary weapons before. He often listened in to the conversations of traders shortly before he robbed them and the tales they told were extraordinary. Weapons of incredible power lay scattered throughout Albion and they were simply waiting to be found. But this weapon in particular held interest for Sabre. He pressed his back under the window of a small home in the town of Oakvale. Within the home he could hear a father telling a story to his children. Skorm's Bow he called it. A weapon used by the evil god Skorm himself.

"Why would Skorm need to use a bow?" One of the children interrupted the story. "He's a god, right? Why wouldn't he just use powers like the heroes use?"

"Shut up and listen!" The other child complained but that only exacerbated the interruption.

"You shut up! I want to know"

"But you're interrupting the story!"

"All right, that's enough." The father interrupted them both. "I think that's it for tonight. Off to bed with the both of you."

The children complained but the father was adamant with his decision. No more stories tonight which left Sabre with only one clue about the bow. It had belonged to Skorm. Any weapon that a god wielded would be well worth the trouble of attaining. His own bow was beginning to show signs of wear and tear. The string had begun to fray and the wood splintered. It had served him well but he needed a replacement.

The father ushered his children out of the room and into bed. When he emerged again, he jumped at the sight of Sabre perched in his window.

"Blazes! Who are you?" He cried.

In an instant, Sabre was across the room with his hand over the man's mouth. He gave a rough shove pinning the man against the wall and kept his face only inches away.

"You told your children a story." Sabre whispered. "And now I'm curious. What more did you have to say about Skorm's Bow?"

He lowered his hand and the man spoke in a startled voice. "You're Sabre, aren't you?"

The hand returned. "That's not what I asked. I'm willing to let you keep your valuables and your life. You need only finish your story."

Sabre lowered his hand again and this time, the man understood when his life had been put on the line. "Sure, sure. Skorm's Bow. It's…it's at Skorm's Chapel, I think. Real original, I know. But legend is it's there. Skorm's said to give it anyone willing to pay a price."

"What price?"

"I…I don't know! It's just a bleeding story!" The man was visibly trembling.

Sabre glared at him a moment but let go and shoved the man to the ground. "I suggest you keep your windows closed at night. You never know who might be lurking about."

Sabre leapt through the open window landing deftly on his feet. He started at a casual gait knowing that the man would be too terrified to call for help leaving Sabre to easily avoid the guards.

"HELP! I'VE BEEN ATTACKED!"

Or not. The front door of the house burst open and the man went running down the street yelling for guards and the like.

"SABRE IS HERE! HELP ME!"

Sabre darted across the street in between two other houses and kept low. He was running out of shadows as the different homes turned on their lights to see what the commotion was about. Guards began to litter the streets and spread outward looking for the rogue woodsman. The response time of these guards was actually impressive. A fact that Sabre was lamenting as he scrambled up a tree. He leapt from one tree branch to another until he was ahead of the guards and lowered himself to the ground. He needn't go much further for what he wanted. He pressed himself against the stone wall that bordered Oakvale and crept across keeping an eye out for the guards. They were coming close but the veil of darkness kept him adequately hidden.

A burst of light in front of Sabre blinded him as he fell back. He shook his head and looked up to see the source and found that he was next to the Cullis Gate and the reason for the light was the hero known as Avatar. The muscular form stepped off of the Cullis Gate and surveyed the immediate are in front of him. Sabre got an excellent look at Avatar's weapon of choice resting firmly on the hero's back. The Solus Greatsword was a wicked looking blade but in the hands of one such as Avatar, it was used only for justice as the hero would put it. Sabre had been lucky as Avatar's back was to him. He lifted himself gently from the ground and found his way behind a tree before Avatar could turn around. A guard approached the hero and spoke.

"It's a good thing you're here, sir! Someone's just been screaming his head off about that Sabre fellow what's been terrorizing the forests." The guard explained and fell in step next to Avatar.

"Ah. The Guildmaster merely said bandits in Oakvale. He gave no specifics. Have you had any luck finding tracks or anything?"

The conversation continued as they walked but they were quickly out of earshot and Sabre had more pressing matters to attend to. Namely an old friend he needed to consult. A dark, unused trail led to one of Albion's many Demon Doors. This one in particular had its stony eyes sealed and gave a loud snoring sound.

"Knock that off!" Sabre hissed slapping the Demon Door's nose.

"What?" The Demon Door bellowed as it 'woke'. "Who's there? Too skinny for me to see. Go eat something or whatever. I'm sleeping!"

"Quiet your voice!" Sabre urged the Demon Door who looked down to see the small frame before him.

"Oh, it's you. Well what was true before remains true now. Indulge a little bit! Get that belly swollen and perhaps I'll let you in."

"I'm not here for that. I merely had a question for you." Sabre spoke to the Demon Door but kept his eyes to the town. Demon Doors had a lack of volume control and he didn't want to attract the attention of anyone in Oakvale.

"If you're going to ask to be let in, I just told you…"

"No!" Sabre's snapped back a little louder than he meant. "I wanted to hear what you know about Skorm's Bow."

"Skorm's Bow? Where did you hear about such a thing? Oh, never mind. It's a weapon Skorm wielded when he battled with Avo. It resides in the Chapel of Skorm in Darkwood. Offered only to those willing to make a great sacrifice, it is a powerful and, in the wrong hands, terrible weapon."

"What great sacrifice do you refer to?" But Sabre's question would go unanswered.

Torches dotted the forest along the path to the Demon Door and having enough information; Sabre hooked his foot inside the Demon Door's mouth and vaulted up its face. He climbed up and over until he was on the ridge and watched as the guards approached the door.

"Must be this old coot just rambling away like he always does." The guard sneered.

"Rambling! I don't ramble!" The door roared. "I'd threaten to eat you if I thought you would provide a decent meal. Look at you! Barely even a morsel, you are!"

The guard and door would continue to argue for a time but with the location of the chapel, Sabre had no more business here. He made his way around the hillock and into Darkwood. The man had spoken of a price and the Demon Door of a sacrifice. Given that it was the chapel belonged to Skorm, Sabre imagined the price they spoke of would be one of sinister value. But he would soon know. Darkwood was an easy place to navigate for him. He knew the terrain and the creatures well enough to avoid them when necessary. Before long, he was near the camp in Darkwood. The entrance to the Chapel of Skorm stood nearby. A feeling of revulsion came over Sabre as he approached. He would never call himself a good person but this place made him feel uneasy. His foot touched the stairs leading in and he felt a prickly feeling creep up his spine.

"You do not have an adequate sacrifice." A voice echoed in his mind.

The voice gave him some hesitation but Sabre continued into the chapel. There at the other end of a chamber stood two disciples of Skorm. Both hooded and with their hands folded in front of them. They flanked a burning bowl the source of whose flames were unseen. A few steps in and one of them spoke.

"You come to us without sacrifice. Leave now and return when you have one."

Frustration began to rise in Sabre. These people were keen on giving him commands and spoke little of what the sacrifice should have been. He made no move to leave.

"Leave now!" The disciple spat. "Your lack of sacrifice is an affront to Skorm."

"Skorm can lick my boot heel." Sabre spat back.

"Fiend!" The disciple lunged at Sabre swiping at him.

Sabre leapt back and drew his bow. Before the disciple could recover, Sabre had an arrow nocked and leveled.

"Care to rethink this?" Sabre smiled.

Evidently the disciple did not as again he lunged. Sabre let the string go only to find the string more frayed than he thought. His bowstring snapped and the arrow fell to the ground.

"Bollocks." Sabre muttered before he was slammed to the wall.

The disciple had tackled into Sabre and they stood locked together. Sabre slid his foot outward pushing the disciple to the floor and kicking his head to the ground. His limp form tumbled down the stairs unconscious. The second disciple unfolded his hands and stood in front of the bowl.

"You will not pass me so easily." The disciple growled.

Despite the warning, Sabre was willing to try running forward and giving a swift kick forward. The disciple dodged and grabbing Sabre's leg, swung him forward and bashed him against the altar. The bowl wobbled with the force of impact and the disciple reached down to take hold of Sabre.

"You will pay for your insult as sacrifice!" he hissed.

But Sabre set his heel in the man's throat and kicked hard. The disciple reeled back recovering quickly and lunged a second time. Sabre was to his feet quickly and, with outstretched hands, was quick to roll backward flinging the disciple behind him. Landing headfirst on the altar, the disciple fell along with the burning bowl to the floor. His body was set ablaze much to Sabre's shock. He patted at the disciple's body dousing some of the flames and smothering others but the voice crept back into his mind.

"Your sacrifice is accepted. Receive your reward."

Sabre looked around him still looking for the source of the voice before he noticed the change. The bow stood suspended just above the altar. The red jewel on the handle seemed to burn with magic. It was a thing of terrible beauty. And now it belonged in the grip of Sabre.


	3. New Acquaintances

**UPDATED**

"You heard about Oakvale?"

"What's this?"

"That fella Sabre was right in the town. Middle of the night. Beat some man, threatened to rob him and then dodged the guards to escape. He even got past Avatar!"

Two traders had decided to take a brief respite at the foot of a tree. Their packs sat along beside them in the relieving shade. And above them, a nimble figure clung to the tree branches listening in. Sabre's greatest sources of information were, without a doubt, the passing traders. They rarely had any reason to look up and therefore never noticed the tattooed outlaw. They gladly conversed believing they were the only ones within earshot.

"How do you get past a hero like Avatar?"

"Beats me. Maybe that Sabre is a hero himself. Just none of us know it. He's got a hero's title after all."

"I doubt that. You hear about the big stink in the Guild of Heroes? None of them folks is happy with what Sabre's been doing. They went and put a bounty on his head. Made it public knowledge."

That was unsettling news. Sabre had at most thought himself a nuisance like any lone bandit would have been. It seemed he had graduated into an actual threat.

"I'm betting Avatar will take care of it. I mean what's this Sabre anyway? He's a common bandit, right? What's he gonna be compared to someone as great as Avatar?"

"Giving him the slip would be mighty embarrassing though. But I'd put my money on Maleficus making some sort of go at him. From what I've heard, he's been rearing his ugly head again. Terrorizing towns and leading bandit raids. Ever since he cowed Twinblade, he's had command over that bunch of scoundrels."

"Yeah, but Maleficus ain't never won in the arena like Avatar. Just you watch, Avatar will handle this."

"Speaking of which. HAHA!"

The trader stood up and clapped his hands in the air cheering and whistling. The other soon followed and they were both doing their best to show their approval for none other than Avatar was now approaching them. Sabre peered through the leaves and was able to get a better look this time around than the previous night. The brightly plated armor adorning the muscular frame of Avatar shone in the afternoon light. He carried his helmet under his left arm to reveal a head full of perfectly trimmed golden hair. Surrounding his head was just the faintest glow of what could only be described as a halo. He smiled at the traders as he approached.

"What an honor!" The first trader swelled with pride. "Seeing a hero like you taking a stroll through the forest. Who'd have thought?"

"A common route and who am I to deny you folk a show?" Avatar smiled broadly and puffed out his chest giving the traders the spectacle they wanted.

They responded in kind with more cheering and laughter. But Avatar didn't waste too much time taking the helmet in both hands and setting it back on his head.

"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen. I have some Guild business to attend to." Avatar drew the curved blade from his back gripping its hilt with both hands.

"Of course, sir. Don't let us get in your way." The traders picked up their packs and went on their way giddy with the events that had just unfolded.

But Avatar remained motionless watching them go. When they were a sufficient distance away, Avatar hoisted the sword up and swung with his full force against the tree. The Solus slammed into the bark sending splinters flying and jolting Sabre out of his position! The unexpected tremor shook the branch out of his grip sending him toward the ground. A deft movement on his part put his feet below him and he barely managed to land standing up. Avatar pried his sword from the tree and gave a grin.

"You're either very clever or hate trees." Sabre growled. "Either way, that was incredibly rude."

"I suppose I could have just robbed the traders but I hear that's your hobby of late. I'm not one to step on another man's toes. Now THAT would be rude."

A silence fell between the two. Avatar set his sword's point into the ground and leaned on it but Sabre kept the same neutral stance. It gave the bulky hero a moment to observe Sabre. He was smaller than one might have expected. Brown hair pulled back into a pony tail and the howl tattoo covering most of his face. A vest common with bandits opened to reveal a balverine tattoo on his chest. Despite his size, Sabre was actually a menacing looking individual.

"So was that all? You wanted to knock me out of a tree?"

Avatar gave a hearty laugh. "No, that was simply to get your attention. Admittedly I forget how much force I have behind my swing from time to time."

Another silence fell between them. "Those tattoos are an interesting choice. The one on your chest is a depiction of the very creature anyone wearing the one on your face is famed to have hunted. So tell me, have you hunted balverines before?"

"You have my attention. Would you care to address something more than my tattoos?"

Avatar's smile faded. "You're right. I'm wasting time. Sabre, I'm here to arrest you by order of the Guild of Heroes, I hereby…"

"Save it. I'm not going with you."

Avatar huffed a moment. He honestly hadn't expected an interruption.

"Listen. You're marked by the Guild of Heroes. Come with me to the Guild. I don't want to hurt you to make you come with me."

"Bollocks!" Sabre snapped. "How many bounties have you gone after before and issued that same line but were all too willing to resort to it at a moment's notice. Why do you want me to come with you anyway?"

"You're a criminal."

"Liar!" Sabre's body tensed as he spat the word at Avatar. "Tell me the truth. Why did you really come here?"

Avatar looked perplexed. "Why else would I come here? You rob traders and the citizens of Albion. You're a menace!"

"If that were true, you would be out every single day arresting every bandit out there. You wouldn't kill them. No. Glory. That's why you're here. Renown. Fame. You know that if you arrest me, the world that already sings your praise will begin to vomit tales of glory at the mere mention of the word hero. You call yourself a hero but all that you do is take a strict moral path that you believe makes you a better person. If it came right down to it, you would choose to have the power and the fame over your good deeds. You would take your trophy and show it to all who have eyes. So here! Come claim _this_ trophy if you want it."

Sabre pulled the bow from his back and felt the influence immediately. It was an evil weapon but one would have to give in to its influence before it had any effect. But Avatar's reaction was not quite what Sabre expected. His jaw had dropped as he stared in disbelief at the very weapon of Skorm.

"Why do you have that bow? Where did you get it?" Avatar gawked.

"An excellent question!" A brassy voice called.

A newcomer called the attention of both Sabre and Avatar. Standing in his own aura of darkness and garbed in the crimson robes of a will user was Maleficus. Sabre had only ever heard of him but never actually been in his presence. It was disturbing to say the least. It was almost as if the light shining through the trees of Greatwood was dimming wherever Maleficus stood. The horns that reached almost a foot above his head scraped the leaves of hanging branches as he walked toward the standoff. A mane and beard of gray hair was the only indication that this might have once been a human being. The hollow eyes made Sabre's heart sink as Maleficus formed the third point in the triangle of men.

"I have spent years in service of Skorm and never once laid eyes on that weapon. Not that it would do me much good of course. I prefer other means of attack." Electricity arched between his fingertips.

"Maleficus, I have claimed this bounty. It is rightfully mine!" Avatar snarled. "Leave and I won't be forced to kill you for everything that you've done."

"Don't listen to him." Maleficus's eyes remained focused on Sabre. "He's inconsequential. Simply angry over an old fling I cut the throat of years ago."

That was all the incentive Avatar needed. He roared with rage and in a blast of heat, he charged toward Maleficus leaving behind a trail of flames! Lightning blasted from the hands of Maleficus as the Solus Greatsword came down at him. The lightning met the curved metal and the fight had begun. Avatar put all his might into bringing the blade down but the erratic lightning held against him. The grass began to char and neither hero had even moved yet. Maleficus dodged to the side letting the blade strike nothing but the ground. A relentless Avatar lifted his blade again bringing it to slash at Maleficus once again. The sorcerer leapt back with fire lapping at his hands. He began hurling fireballs in Avatar's direction who batted them away. One flew wide crashing into the ground next to Sabre! He felt the heat as it singed his clothing and his skin. He leapt away from the fire forming on the ground and turned back to the fight to see he had come too close. He now stood only a few feet from Avatar.

"Siding with him, are you?" Maleficus spat and lifted his hand.

Lightning fired from his hands but Sabre quickly dove behind a nearby tree. The lightning tore away at the bark and spat dirt up across Sabre's face. Avatar gave another wide swing at Maleficus but his blade bounced away. An eerie light surrounded Maleficus and Avatar immediately understood he had conjured a magical shield.

"Let's see how well that protects you." Avatar threw his head back roaring and began to grow in size.

His muscles bulged and he began to tower over Maleficus.

"Come now, Avatar!" Maleficus cackled. "You think your magic can stand against mine!"

But Avatar was no longer in the talking mood. He now held his greatsword with one hand and began battering against the shield of his opponent. It was an awesome display of power and magic the likes of which, Sabre had never seen before. He had barely any comprehension of Will knowing only that every hero was taught to use it. It would only be so long before they remembered his presence and he decided to make himself scarce. The branches hung low enough for him to hoist himself up and before long, he was high above the fight and ready to leave.

With another swing, Avatar sent the shielded form of Maleficus soaring and slamming into the very tree Sabre had just climbed. Sabre lost his footing and nearly fell were it not for a quick hand reaching to catch himself.

"Enough of this!" Maleficus stood back up and erupted in flames.

He was again hurling fireballs but this time, the forest was paying the price. Fires were catching everywhere including the tree Sabre hung from. Flames quickly climbed the tree's trunk and Sabre had little other choice. He let go and fell to the ground. In the middle of two warring heroes was a terrible place to be and it's precisely where Sabre found himself. He caught the searing heat of a fireball and fell back to avoid it. Another fireball and flames began to rain down on Sabre. He was to his feet again in a dead sprint but the heroes refused to keep their fight contained. As Avatar swatted the fireballs, they fell in Sabre's path blocking his exit each time he turned. He turned to look for other exits only to see another fireball crash into him! He felt the blisters form and the agony as his clothes caught. Flames surrounded Sabre in every direction and now they covered his body. He tore at his clothing putting the flames out but still the world around him burnt. His salvation was near though.

A towering oak tree with low branches beckoned him. Leaping from the ground, Sabre caught hold and felt the tree lift him upward. He cried out in celebration. Swinging his legs upward, Sabre was in his element again standing in the safety of old friends. Agony racked every inch of his body from the burns and the exertion. He was barely able to remain standing after each leap to a new tree. As consciousness slipped away from him, Sabre felt the wind rushing past him even as he stopped willing his body to move.

* * *

"Absolutely inconceivable!" The Guildmaster roared. "Two heroes at each other's throats while a notorious bandit eludes them!"

A nervous apprentice stood nearby trembling. "The oath of Avatar demanded blood, sir."

"Don't cite his oath to me!" The Guildmaster snapped. "I don't blame him for following the oath but they could have at the very least found time to subdue Sabre. Instead, we watch Greatwood burn. It is lucky for us that the fire did not spread much further than their fight. How did Sabre avoid them, anyway?"

"Well…uh, he…he was flung."

"Flung? By who? Where was he flung to?"

"I don't have those answers, sir. Nearby traders merely saw him leaping from the trees and then was soaring but asleep it looked like."

"So now he sleep jumps, is that what you're telling me?"

"No, sir. I believe the trees were…well…"

"Out with it!"

"Throwing him! The trees were throwing him."

* * *

Sabre awoke to a blur of colors and a cacophony of chirps and voices. Water dripping and then a cooling sensation. The cool touch of a wet cloth focused his mind and sight a little bit. Enough to see the shape of a woman bringing the cloth to his cheek and down his neck. His hand reached up to bat her arm away but she grabbed it and set it back down.

"Just a moment. I'm almost done." The voice was sweet and melodic.

Sabre tried to roll his body over but her hand pushed his shoulder down and again, he was left helpless.

"If you could see yourself when I found you, you'd bleeding well know you're not going anywhere." She said. "Pardon the language but you were badly burnt when I found you. You heal quickly it seems but you're still filthy and hurt."

Sabre moved his lips attempting to speak but his voice caught in his throat. He lifted his head and it fell back on the pillow. He squinted trying to focus but the room kept spinning.

"Where are we?" He finally coughed.

"Oakvale." She stood up and left Sabre's field of vision.

When she returned, she held something to his lips and he felt water trickle into his mouth. Sabre greedily drank the entire glass of water down and he sank back down.

"I wasn't sure when or even if you'd be waking up. You really don't know how badly you were hurt." The woman rose again and sat against the sill of a window.

Sabre's eyes and mind were finally able to focus enough that he realized he was without clothes or weapons. He sat up and the room began spinning again but he ignored it.

"My bow. My clothes. Where are they?"

"They're in that chest." She pointed. "But I don't think you should be moving just yet."

"It doesn't matter." Sabre rose from the bed and the floor came up to meet his face.

Sabre lay flat on the ground now with barely enough strength to push himself back up. Darkness began pushing inward the center of his vision. He felt the woman's hands and arms touch his shoulders and lift him back to his feet. She laid him back out on the bed and remained at his side this time to keep him in place.

"My name is Rebecca." She offered.

Sabre was silent.

"Have you got a name?" She poked his side.

"Why do you want to know?" Sabre managed to choke the words out.

"Curiosity. When a half-naked burnt man falls out of a tree on to my father's grave, it brings the curious side of me out. That and it's a bit frustrating when I'm trying to pay my respects."

He took a moment to consider the chance that she would report him if he told her but knew she wouldn't stop bothering him otherwise. "My name is Sabre."

"Sabre? Odd name."

"More of a title really."

Rebecca's eyes lit up. "A title? So you're a hero? They always have those fancy titles. You never really know their real names."

Sabre groaned. "No, I'm not a hero."

"I'm sorry!" She was quick to stop the moment he showed pain. "I got excited. Okay, so you're not a hero. I'll remember that. But I'm guessing you haven't eaten that much recently and you've been out a couple of days. I'll go make some stew and be back up with it, all right?"

Rebecca stood and left the room leaving Sabre to look out the window to the town he had been in only a few days before. How did he get back here?


	4. New Friends

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable: The Lost Chapters or Fable. Duh!**

"I HAD HIM!" Maleficus's voice boomed as he pounded the table, electricity surging from his hands.

"What happened?" Twinblade leaned forward his curiosity goading him to keep asking the same question without any actual response as of yet.

When Avatar came to the bandit camp and defeated Twinblade, the surrounding bandits held no mercy for the massive hero and swarmed him. Avatar killed them all but left their king unharmed. It wasn't his original plan but Theresa had come to him and afterwards, he held no malice towards Twinblade. Maleficus came some time after and at first, seemed to show the same compassion. But it was soon obvious what his intentions were. Maleficus twisted and manipulated the broken ex-king. He broke what will he had left by showing him how his defeat just fed the rise of Avatar and his victory in the arena. From then on, Twinblade cowered away from Maleficus if he were even to raise a hand and never spoke out against his word. Avatar hadn't won in the arena ten days ago when Maleficus started and ended his hunt in Greatwood yesterday.

"That bastard!" Maleficus kicked the table this time and broke it. "I had Sabre. I had him right in front of me. And then Avatar decided it would be wrong to kill him. It would be wrong! Can you believe that? He's tried to tell ME what is right and wrong!"

"He tried to do what?" Twinblade curled his hands into fists at the name of the glorious Avatar.

Maleficus breathed heavily, his eyes glowing fiercely with the hatred and malice of every inch of his body. The fight didn't last long before Avatar broke Maleficus's shield and went for him. However, Maleficus wasn't there to kill Avatar, he was there to kill Sabre. So he just teleported away to Twinblade's camp.

"And the bow." Maleficus muttered squeezing the fence he was gripping.

"The what?" Twinblade found himself more confused than ever with this hero.

"THE BOW!" Maleficus turned and shouted.

Twinblade raised his arms in defense and almost let out a whimper. When he let them down, Maleficus was still enraged but wasn't about to focus it on Twinblade.

"That…little runt of a bastard." Maleficus said between breaths. "Found…and _used_…Skorm's Bow. The bow, which I have so long sought after. The bow that I have sacrificed so many lives at the Chapel of Skorm for that I might be considered Skorm himself, and HE…HE gets it. He uses it. Taints it with his foul and unworthy touch. I swear, as you and the almighty Skorm as my witnesses, that Sabre will die by the power which I hold in my own two hands."

Maleficus grinned in ecstasy imagining Sabre's blood running over his hands. Bathing in the blood and drinking it from his neck.

* * *

Sabre found that his legs were fully healed and he could easily move about almost as nimbly as before. He couldn't quite jump from tree to tree as he used to but he would soon. He jumped up in down in Rebecca's bedroom stretching his toes. He wore only his assassin's pants; Rebecca wouldn't let him have much else. She sat on her bed with her legs crossed and hands in her lap watching him. He had many times seen men and women do this. Never taking their gaze off of a person. He personally couldn't understand it. The person wasn't going to change any in that short time. And they certainly wouldn't find the fact that a person was watching them so intently very settling. He did notice that when he looked over at her, she immediately set about doing something like playing with her skirt or priming her hair. He had the feeling she concealed things often from her parents. Never a boy before though, this was new. But she had a unique style of making sure her parents never saw him or any of his belongings. Of course, she had made sure he never saw those either. 

"What exactly are you doing?" she asked looking up from her skirt.

He glared at her hoping that it would one day have some effect. Nothing.

"I'm working on the strength in my legs. I travel by jumping through trees and I need to have strong muscles in my legs to be able to do it." He answered.

"But you've been working for working for hours non-stop." She complained. She smiled as she lay her head on the pillow. "Why don't you come here and lie with me? I promise I don't bite."

He stopped and looked back at her. Her hair was down and sprawled out over the pillow making her face the very center of it. He couldn't help but admire how attractive she was. Her eyes were a beautiful grayish blue. Her hair a dazzling shade of blonde and brown mixed together. She wore a sleeveless shirt revealing delicate smooth skin. She beamed at him as he finally gave in and tied his hair back before laying down beside her. She pulled herself close and laid her head on his chest. He looked down at hercompletely confusedbut did nothing. For the most part because he didn't know what to do. He thought about what to do and came to a conclusion. He leaned his head forward and licked her forehead. She frowned and then looked up at him in confusion. She felt her forehead and began laughing.

"What in the world did you do that for?" she giggled.

"I'm not sure. Seemed like the right thing to do. Was that wrong?" he said in complete puzzlement.

She wiped her forehead and glared at him while still retaining a smile on her face. "Yes, that was wrong. You don't lick the person. You hold them, like this."

As she said this, she put his arm up around her shoulders and held him like before. He didn't understand why.

"Why do we do this?" he asked.

"Because." She said without looking up. "It makes me feel safer…and you don't leave my sight so I know that you're not off looking for your silly equipment."

"It's not sil…" she flipped her hair and it landed in his mouth.

He spat it out and was about to scold her but she was giggling so he didn't say anything.

* * *

"Avatar, I'd like to see you at the Guild. We have certain things to discuss." 

Avatar sighed. He closed the book he was reading and set it back on the shelf. His wife came down the stairs and looked up at him.

"Leaving for the guild I see." She said approaching him.

Her bare feet made a loud patting sound against the wooden floor as she came close to him. He held her close and looked down into her eyes.

"Yes. The Guildmaster seemed a little perturbed."

"I can't imagine why." She said glaring at him.

She married to him because she loved him. Unlike most of the other women…and men…in Bowerstone. They saw a fancy and brave hero who was rich and famous. She on the other hand, saw much more than Avatar. She saw her husband. And he knew that. She never liked the idea of him being a hero though. Especially when it came to moments like yesterday when he fought with Maleficus. She has hated Maleficus from the moment she met him. That of course was when Avatar and Maleficus were known as Chicken Chaser and Arse Face. They were good friends then, or so it had seemed. Maleficus strove for power where Avatar strove for what was right. She hugged him briefly before he transported away.

He reappeared in the Guild in front of the Guildmaster and Maleficus. They both shot the most hate filled glares at each other but did nothing more. Everyone knew the Guild was neutral ground and even Maleficus respected these rules.

"How dare you act out like this!" the Guildmaster spat at them catching their attention again. "You two nearly killed each other. You both know very well that that is not permitted! You may choose your own path in the world, we respect that. But you may NOT under any circumstances cut the other's path short. If you're killed, we will mourn your passing. If you live and succeed, we will celebrate your success. But we will not at any point in time allow such actions to go unnoticed and unpunished."

Neither hung their heads in shame or showed any other sign of guilt at what they had done. Both thought they were doing right and felt no reason to feel guilty for such actions.

"Don't let it happen again." The Guildmaster said after a moment's pause. "Or you _will_ suffer the consequences. Begone with the both of you."

The Guildmaster turned to look out the window as both heroes slowly faded away in a swirl of light. Maleficus reappeared at Twinblade's camp and Avatar at his home in Bowerstone. Maleficus would undoubtedly scheme tonight while Avatar was in bed with his wife. He had gone so long without her loving touch. He only hoped it wouldn't be interrupted and he could have a full night's rest.

* * *

Sabre sat on the edge of Rebecca's bed as she slumbered. She had fallen asleep against his chest and he didn't take long to realize it. He now sat staring out the window of the second story at the trees. He had always played that he could talk to the trees and always apologized to them when he hurt them in some way. But at no point in time did he actually know they would help him or talk to him. He thought to look into it further but not right now. Now, he would just wait. He wasn't to his full strength yet and he felt Rebecca shiver at the absence of the warmth of his body. Tonight he would sleep. But tomorrow, tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow, he would speak to the trees and hopefully hear a response. 

Sabre woke and immediately sat up. Rebecca was gone, he suspected downstairs. He rubbed his eyes and thought it strange how comfortable this bed was. Trees and beds of leaves usually served as his bed. It seemed to bring him nightmares though. He dreamed of the White Balverine tearing the citizens of Knothole Glade to shreds. He knew it not possible as Avatar had gained his entry into the arena by killing the White Balverine. He shook this dream from his head and walked downstairs making plenty of noise as he did. Rebecca was sitting at the table eating and she looked up as he came down. Her lips parted into a wide smile at the sight of him and she invited him to sit down and have breakfast with her.

"What are you having?" he asked surprised with his own response.

"Some bread and cooked meat." She said as she put a piece of bread in her mouth.

He looked over the table and found nothing appetizing. He wasn't hungry either so that might have contributed to it.

"I'll be back in a bit." He murmured turning around and heading out the door.

She made a halting sound and he stopped, about to take hold of the knob. He turned around to see what was wrong. She stood with her hands on her hips and looking at him with a _forget something _type of look. He remembered his reputation in these areas and grinned.

"Oh yes, no shirt." He said knowing she didn't know who he was.

He went up the stairs as though to fetch a shirt and leapt out the first window he saw. He was careful not to upset the citizens of Oakvale as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop making his way to the cemetery. There was a family mourning for their lost son in the Oakvale raid so long ago. He waited and it was only out of respect that he didn't interrupt and scare them off. He climbed down from the wall after they left and went to the largest tree in the area. He tapped its bark, put his ear to it and all sorts of other experiments hoping it would respond in some way.

Finally, "Can you hear me?"

He waited in silence. A faint wind blew by and he was about to give up.

"Of course." He heard a voice and almost leapt into the air in excitement.

He found that he wasn't alone though. It wasn't the tree that responded to him. A trio of guards stood behind him grinning toothy grins with their swords in hand.

"We heard ya just fine." One of them grunted.

"Remember me?" another one said.

Sabre looked at him and recognized him as the guard he beat up to alert Oakvale of the bandit raid. But he felt like being a smartass.

"No, I think I'd remember someone as ugly as you. Nope, you look quite unfamiliar."

"Why you little!" the guard growled lurching forward.

Another guard put his hand out and stopped his approaching comrade.

"Wait a minute, Joe." He looked back at Sabre who stood shirtless and weaponless. "You think you're pretty good, don't ya? Well, I've got a surprise. Weapons, are what makes the most of men."

Sabre realized what he was talking about and cursed himself for not bringing anything. It didn't even cross his mind to curse Rebecca for hiding his weapons. The guards slowly approached Sabre grinning and chuckling to themselves. Sabre cocked his head to the side slightly and heard a faint creaking sound.

"You're wrong of course." Sabre smiled. "Friends are what make a man."

The guards screamed in terror as a tree branch came down and swooped them up and dangled them by their ankles. Sabre laughed at them and in his mind he was rejoicing that he had gained an entire army of new friends. He patted the trunk and walked out of the cemetery.

**

* * *

**

**Well, there it is. Another chapter. Hoped you enjoyed it. And I can imagine a few of you are wondering if any are reading this, "Is there going to be romance between Sabre and Rebecca?" Well, here's your answer. I dunno. Okay, it's not an answer but it's the best I can give you. I really haven't decided all of that yet. **


	5. The Face of Fear

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable: The Lost Chapters or Fable.**

**Author's Note: Be warned. There is some sexual content in this chapter. I'm sorry for those of you who are offended by such things but it was necessary to bring the effect in that I wanted. I hope it works. Enjoy.**

Sabre now walked fully equipped through Darkwood once again. He had managed to convince Rebecca to give all of his equipment back. Though he wasn't sure how. He seemed to vaguely remember her kissing him, or him kissing her, which was it? After that, she gave him his equipment and said that she wasn't worried about him never coming back, she knew he would. It bothered him some that she didn't seem to ask him to come back so much as tell him he was going to. He knew this to be sure of course, not entirely sure why though. He was finding his recent confusion about Rebecca extremely irritating and had he the same malevolence and lack of morality that Maleficus had, he might have just killed her to rid himself of the irritation. But that wasn't who he was. He had seen Maleficus once now and that was more than enough for him. He felt he might need to find the hero again to confront him but now would not be the time. There was word of a bordello opening in Darkwood. Sabre not understanding the term went to investigate. Upon arriving at the bordello, he found himself extremely surprised.

"Hello there." A woman approached him in a revealing dark blue dress.

Sabre said nothing but just look at her. He had never seen a woman dressed like that before. The dress only came up to the top of her breasts, which it exposed the majority of. And at the hips, the fabric was open to reveal her skin. Her dark hair fell over his shoulder as she came and took his arm to lead him up the path.

"And what's your name?" she asked with a voice like silk.

It took him a moment, "Sabre."

"Sabre?" she repeated with a smile. "Oh, I've heard of you. Dashing thing you are. A bit adventurous, hmm? Hedwig or Lucrezia would be more your type, not that I wouldn't be happy to serve you."

Her fingers snaked their way across his chest playing with the bone necklace around his neck. They stopped before they reached the building and she put her lips up to his check and whispered in his ear.

"I'll be inside, I never disappoint." He could smell her sweet breath and felt the gentle flow of it across his cheek.

She turned away from him and walked into the building moving her body in a seductive manner enticing him to go in. Sabre, though not understanding what was happening, obeyed the hips which he couldn't take his eyes off and entered the bordello. Inside, several women stood idle, some of them talking to each other, others just waiting. Sabre couldn't figure out what for. One of the two men in the room approached Sabre and threw his arm around Sabre's shoulder.

"Welcome m'lad." The man exclaimed. "Welcome to the Darkwood Bordello. I'm afraid we'll have to take your weapons while you're here."

As this was said, a guard relieved Sabre of his weapons. He didn't pay attention, he was looking for the woman from before. He could see her but he was also trying to listen to the man who still had his arm around Sabre's shoulder.

"Got a fantasy? One o' my girls can help you with that." The man grinned greedily and laughed in Sabre's face releasing a foul smell into his nostrils. "We've got something for everything. You got a fantasy, one of my girls can act it out. You want to feel pain? You want to be dominated like never before. Hedwig can help you with that."

The man pointed at a scantily clad woman dressed completely in tight leather.

"Or how about something a little more exotic?" The man grinned. "How about, Lucrezia?"

He then pointed to a black woman with white hair and a veil covering the lower half of her face. She wore a mid-drift exposing dress and the skirt and cloth she had on were tan colored.

"Anything you like m' boy." The man said. "So long as you got the money for it."

Sabre still hadn't taken his mind off of the woman from before. He didn't know what he was feeling, but he was strongly intrigued by it.

"Oh," the man exclaimed, "Where are my manners? The name's Grope. I'm the proprietor of this fine organization. Well, I'll leave you to the women. Seems like you've got your eye on the lovely Lady Sophia. She's a prize one she is."

Sophia sat across from another girl in a short skirt waiting. She didn't look up at Sabre until he approached her and she stood up.

"Well, well, well." Her voice echoing in his ears. "I suppose you're choosing me then? Or are you a shy boy?"

She said this feeling across his thigh.

"And you want me to introduce you to someone like Hedwig." She said.

He gazed down into her eyes drowning in the depths of them.

"I'll take that as a no. You do want me." She murmured while nibbling on his ear lobe.

The other girls watched intently giggling among themselves at the spectacle of Sophia and Sabre standing in the middle of the room as though they were going to have sex right then and there. She whispered something in Sabre's ear and then he handed her a large sum of gold. None knew it, but he hardly understood what for. She walked slowly and seductively with him holding his hand and occasionally touching his chest or thigh. He couldn't stop looking at her. When they finally stopped, she laid him down on a bed and began to disrobe. He sat up immediately at the sight of her nude body and gawked for a moment. She laughed lightly and pulled the bandit's vest off of his body.

"I can tell you haven't done this before." She said pressing her body against his.

Sabre's lips moved but he said nothing, then. "I'm not sure what _this _is."

"This my darling." She said pulling her lips closer to his. "Is the best."

She kissed him while she pressed her nude body against his naked chest and ran her fingers through his hair. He had felt this once before with Rebecca, only differently. Whether or not she had kissed him or he had kissed her was still a mystery to him but he remembered feeling something wonderful. Rebecca had run her fingers through his hair as well but she was still fully clothed. There had also been a warmth there as well. A warmth he couldn't describe hidden inside her lips pressing against his. When Rebecca had kissed him, or he kissed her, whatever the hell happened, his entire body shuddered and he wanted to pick her up and never let go. This was different though. Sophia didn't have the same warmth. She didn't have the same compassion that Sabre felt from Rebecca. Her kiss felt almost forced. He felt her moving across his chest and stomach and didn't know what was happening. He couldn't do this though, whatever it was. He pushed her off of him lightly so as not to hurt her and stood up. He looked down and saw his pants undone. He quickly fixed that and picked the vest back up.

"Is something wrong?" she asked running her hands across his chest.

"Yes." His answer came swiftly. "I don't know what, but yes, something is wrong."

He quickly put on the leather vest and pushed past the guard. Sophia came up beside the guard completely naked watching Sabre leave.

"Might I ask what happened, ma'am?" the guard asked moving back into position.

"You may, but, I'm not sure myself." She replied.

Sabre went to the downstairs and saw Grope who immediately approached him.

"Done already? Well, I hope you enjoyed that for as short a time as it lasted." Grope cackled at his own joke.

Sabre grabbed Grope by the throat cutting of his air supply.

"What are you running here?" Sabre's voice burned in Grope's ears.

Tears ran down his cheeks and he tried to call out for the guards but he couldn't make any noise. He squirmed and pulled at Sabre's wrist but made no progress. Sabre's eyes narrowed and he gripped even harder. The girl in the short skirt, Amelia as Sabre would soon know, came to Grope's aide pulling at Sabre's arm.

"Please stop!" she begged. "Please, he's a cruel and sadistic man but we need him!"

Grope's eyes began to make their way into the back of his head and it became noticeable that he wasn't giving up much of a fight anymore. That was all Amelia needed to see in order to say what she wanted.

"Please!" she was sobbing now. "If he dies, we'll never know where he put the deeds for the bordello! If he dies, we'll never be able to claim this place as our own!"

Sabre almost unwillingly let his grip slowly lessen and Grope fell to the floor coughing loudly and gasping for air. Sabre gritted his teeth knowing that what happened up on that bedroom was not what Sophia actually wanted. He didn't know how, he just knew it. So he knelt down and took Grope by the collar.

"Where are they?" his voice again reaching into Grope's worst fears.

Grope only looked on in fear with no voice.

"Where are they?" Sabre twisting his voice into the most horrifying sound he could.

Grope shuddered in fear and Sabre noticed a wet stain forming in his crotch.

"WHERE?" Sabre ordered this time and noticed something horrible.

Sabre was trying to install a fear in this man. While fear was a weapon and a tool that could be used, it spread quickly. And though he had spent little time with her, Rebecca had shown Sabre that people would be more accepting of him were he a better person. At least, that's how he interpreted his company with her. What he was doing, was frightening this poor excuse for a man using all the aspects of his character that frightened a person. What he was doing, was becoming Maleficus. The idea of this shook him to the core of his persona. He felt Grope go limp in his hands, he had fainted from overwhelming terror. That just confirmed Sabre's worst fear. He dropped the motionless body of the proprietor and backed away. A few girls came to Grope fanning him and trying to wake him. Sophia came to Sabre's side and whispered in his ear.

"You must leave. The guards will soon be here. Get out of here while you can." She thrust his bow into his hands and quickly pushed him out the door.

He looked back at her and into her eyes. The eyes ,which he had not long ago, been seduced by and thought he could swim in forever. They weren't the same now. Now they held urgency and panic. It snapped him back into reality and he slung the bow and quiver over his head and turned to run but stopped.

"I'll send someone." He uttered quietly.

"What?" she was panicking more. "Go. Just leave! The guards will arrest you!"

"I'll send someone!" he said more firmly this time and took his leave.

A guard tried to stop him but was quickly flung into the pond by the adept and scared hands of Sabre. He burst through the gates and into Darkwood. He fell to his knees in the muck and held his head in his hands sobbing. Though others might think it ludicrous to act in such a way, Sabre knew they wouldn't understand his fear. Unlike Maleficus or Avatar, he was impartial. He didn't choose sides. He did what he did to help others who needed it most and benefit himself in what ways he could. Not exactly in that order but those were what he did. His hands felt filthy and he wanted to claw out his vocal chords. He didn't know that he could ever have done such a thing. Put that much fear into a man's heart that he start sobbing and actually urinate in fear. He didn't know he was capable of doing it and he hated the idea that he could. It made him that much more like Maleficus. It made him that much more like that which he despised and promised never to become. He lifted his tear ridden and swollen face to see a balverine growling and circling around him. It licked its lips and its drool dripped down into the muck and water.

Sabre returned its stare and his hands fell down to his side. It jumped at him and he slammed it down under the water. His hands found its neck and he twisted sharply feeling the sickening snap, which confirmed the kill. He stood back up and retreated back towards Oakvale.

* * *

Avatar woke in the middle of the night with his wrists tied down on either side of his bed. He would have thought more of that if he didn't seem a small and slender figure perched on his chest glaring down at him. 

"Please, don't try and struggle." He heard a familiar voice say.

Avatar kept a straight face and muttered into the darkness, "You know, these ropes won't hold me."

"Yes, but in the time that you would break them, I will have heard you trying to do so and moved before you could get a hold of me, so please, just wait. I'll untie them afterwards." Sabre had studied the Cullis Gate and learned to use it.

His eyes still burnt with the tears he had shed over Grope's near lifeless body.

"Well, what do you want?" Avatar said wanting so badly to break his bonds and take hold of the outlaw so he might teach him something.

Avatar wasn't interested in killing Sabre or even turning him in anymore. He wanted the boy to learn. There was an aching in him after Sabre spoke to him spitefully about his righteousness being no better than what Maleficus was. After that, he realized what the boy had said was true. He always strove for the fame and the glory of the kill claiming his opponent's head in the name of Avo and the good in the hearts of all men. Or something to that effect. He only wanted to be greater and greater. He was no better than Maleficus and itscared him. Much like it had Sabre. He wanted to be free of that feeling and thought that if he could speak with Sabre for some time, they might teach each other something. But he waited patiently and listened.

"Do you know of the Darkwood Bordello?" Sabre asked.

"Yes. Just recently opened as I understand it. Renovated too."

After a long pause of Sabre staring at him questioningly, he gave his explanation. "My wife goes out with her friends every now and then, they like to gossip."

Sabre hardly understood women and after his recent experience with Sophia, he wasn't sure if he wanted to understand them. He just wanted to hold Rebecca right now and feel that warmth again. Lift his fears and leave the world for a time. But that would wait. And so would Rebecca.

"The owner of the bordello is a horrid and wicked man exploiting the women there. The bordello's deeds are in his possession. According to one of the girls there, whoever is in possession of the deeds, is in possession of the bordello. I hope you'll do what is right with this knowledge. And not right in the name of fame, but right in the name of Avo and what you actually believe."

With that, the pressure was instantly relieved from Avatar's chest and Sabre was gone. He felt his arms release and heard an arrow hit the wall. He looked to see that the arrow had torn through both ropes. He looked to the window and saw Sabre jump from the balcony onto a tree.

"They boy has good aim." He said to himself.

He laid back down and told himself that he would go to the bordello in the morning and help the women. And he wouldn't go as Avatar or Paladin or any other title he had had over the years. He would go as a hero. A righteous one at that.

* * *

As Sabre finally approached Rebecca's house. He felt the tears streaming down his cheeks. He had told her he would be back in a moment. And a moment it was, she was still awake sitting on her bed waiting for him. She had her hands in her lap playing with her skirt as usual. He stepped through the window and she looked up in excitement only to turn to sadness at the sight of his tears. He undid the strap on the bow letting it fall to the ground and the arrows scattered onto the floor. He fell to his knees and let his head fall onto Rebecca's lap. She held his shoulders shocked at his tears. He had managed to stay out of sight when he came to her before. He didn't care now. He sobbed and cried openly now. She stroked his arm attempting to calm him. Her entire bed shook with the sobs that erupted from Sabre. She hummed something quietly and kissed his cheek leaving her lips moistened with his tears. Over time, he calmed and fell asleep with his head in her lap and she sat for over an hour stroking his dark flowing hair. Even in sleep he breathed heavily and let out the occasional sob. She had stopped humming long ago as her throat was bothering her from the constant pressure of it. It wasn't that that calmed him though. It was the warmth of her body against his. He had only knew her for about a week now but it was enough for him. He would forever crave that warmth for as long as she was alive. She knew nothing of this and had merely taken him in seeing him as a teenage crush. She had come to love him though. How he disregarded her in such a trivial and amusing sort of way. Trying to push her away until now. She too drifted into sleep and dreamt only of him. 

When she woke, she would embrace him again no matter what. Even if he had been out and was covered with muck or some other foul substance. She didn't know what had happened that night and she didn't care, she only knew what she felt. And what she felt was Sabre. The outlaw and bandit extraordinaire. Sabre.

* * *

**Well. There that is. There is some love between them. I'm sorry, I'm really bad at romance. Affection is what I'm good at. Anyway, this is sort of a transitional chapter. Though I think I'm getting better with them. I can't really be the judge of it though, you all need to tell me. Please review and tell me what you think, this chapter was extremely difficult to write because it really is a developmental chapter. You see how each character is affected by the other. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	6. Floods of Information

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable: The Lost Chapters or Fable.**

Maleficus stood in front of a table with his hands on the top gritting his teeth and lightning ready to reach out from his hands to strike the next messenger that brought him unsatisfactory news. Behind him lay the bodies of four messengers who hadn't managed to find Sabre and came back to him to tell him so. His philosophy as it was, if you come back to me to tell me no progress, then that is obviously the reason why you have found nothing, therefore you are unworthy of life. By him, it was a decent philosophy to live by. Maleficus wasn't worried about the fact that Sabre had been robbing people and in turn robbing him of terrorizing the people. No, it was about the bow. That legendary weapon that he had such a longing for. Being one who used magic so much, Maleficus had no desire to seek any powerful melee weapons but he occasionally found use in bows and crossbows.

"Uh, sir?" the messenger muttered coming up behind Maleficus.

He heard the crackle of lightning and prayed that his news was of some use.

"What?" Maleficus growled not turning around.

"I've news about Avatar…"

"WHAT," Maleficus barked turning around and facing the bandit messenger, "DO I WANT WITH HIM? HE IS USELESS TO ME! I WANT SABRE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOU HALF WIT?"

He was about to strike the messenger down but heard over the crackle of lightning something that interested him, "There's rumor of him consorting with Sabre, sir!"

The bandit was on the ground cowering from Maleficus now. The electricity had stopped surging from his fingers and he thought this over in his head. Avatar and Sabre working together for some unknown reason. He waved his hand and the messenger was lifted back to his feet by an unseen force. He looked about him and then back up at Maleficus.

"What about them?" Maleficus asked calmly.

The messenger stuttered for a moment and then spoke, "Sabre was seen in Darkwood Bordello."

"That's open again?" Maleficus said almost delightfully.

"Yes, sir." The bandit answered and continued. "He left and the next day, Avatar was seen going there. Both were rumored to threaten the proprietor of the bordello, Grope."

"Yes, I remember Grope." Maleficus said pondering this. "Anything else?"

"No, sir." The bandit said readying himself to leave.

"Good." Maleficus said and grabbed the bandit by the throat sending lightning coursing through his entire body.

The steaming body of the bandit hit the ground and crumbled. Maleficus turned back to his table where Twinblade was waiting in fear and loyalty. Maleficus stared him in the eye with a grin that sent shivers down his spine and fear into his heart.

"I want spies at that bordello." Maleficus said. "I want reports of all activity there whether it be an old customer coming for a visit or Avatar bounding in to save the whores. I want it under constant surveillance. Understand?"

Twinblade nodded and left the tent area to go and instruct bandits in what they were supposed to do. He was glad to be out of the company of Maleficus. There was always a sense of darkness and all energy being drained away when he was present. Maleficus though, though it wise to maybe pay a visit to the bordello. Not for any investigation of course. He had long since missed Hedwig.

* * *

Rebecca awoke to the sight of Sabre watching out the window intently. He heard the change in breath and knew she was awake but didn't turn around. He only kept watching out the window. Men and women seemed all abuzz. None of them walking slowly or stopping to talk. They all seemed to have a place to be and immediately. Not like normal. Rebecca groggily stood up from her bed and stretched her arms. She approached Sabre and pushed her ear to his back and embraced him like she had promised herself she would. He didn't protest, he just held her hand over his abdomen and watched ever more intently. When she let go, he left the window and turned to her. Morning grogginess still touching her eyes. She was trying her best to rid herself of it though. Constantly rubbing her eyes and smiling up at him. He didn't care either way, he just peered further into her eyes and waited for eternity to engulf him. Instead, she hugged him again this time her nose against the side of his neck. She had to stand on her toes to do so but he returned the embrace and made it easier.

"What were you looking at?" she asked.

He soaked in the warmth of her body before answering. "The people outside seem more…busy than usual."

"So." She giggled not seeing the point in this.

"So, they never are." He said trying to make her understand.

Over time, he had come to observe things closely. He didn't expect her to immediately understand what he was saying, only what was happening.

"Something's going to happen and these people know it. Unfortunately, we slept through it."

Rebecca noticed now that Sabre was nothing like he had been last night. He had the same stoical look upon his face and emotionless eyes. His voice was firm trying to make her understand. She wanted so badly to ask about the night before but knew it wouldn't do any good. She would ask when his point was made and he was done talking.

"REBECCA!"

Both of their heads whirled to her door at the sound of her father yelling for her. Odd that he be home during the day. Rebecca's father was a storekeeper and was rarely home during the day. Her mother helped out around the shop so they were never home leaving Rebecca to what she would do. Rebecca stood in the middle of her room now and Sabre was out the window. She looked for something to occupy herself but found nothing. Her father opened the door to see a very complacent looking daughter looking back at him with an awkward smile upon her face.

"Rebecca, you really must find more to occupy yourself. Every time I come up her, you're just standing there in the center of your room." Her father shook his head.

She almost said something but he starting talking again quickly. "Rebecca, close your window pull down the blinds. Maleficus is coming through town. I've closed the shop and I'll open again when he's gone. Just for the time being, stay in your room, understand?"

She nodded and just stood while he waited for her to close her window.

"Close your window." Were his parting words and closed the door.

Sabre climbed in the window, fire in his eyes and his hands clenched into fists. He had intentions she could read easily.

"No." she whispered hoarsely.

He turned his head to her and she saw the hatred and fear in his eyes mingled into his oncoming death.

"He'll kill you." She begged as he made to exit the window. "Please."

She grabbed the upper half of his arm and tugged on it pleading with him not to leave. He looked into her eyes knowing it stupid to do so but saw them welling up. Her eyes glistened and shone in the light reflecting his image perfectly. He almost melted right there at the sight of her doe like eyes pleading with him not to leave. He looked outward and saw Maleficus scanning the area. Hatred burned inside of him like wildfire and he stepped out slightly. Rebecca whimpered and pulled again on his arm. His heart sank at the sound of her suffering and he gave in. She quickly pulled him in and closed the shutters on the window. She turned to him with a frown and pushed his chest barely phasing him.

"What do you think you're doing?" she scolded him trying to sound angry through her sobs. "That is a horrid and sadistic man who they call a hero with power that I can't even fathom or understand. He would tear you to shreds and you were going to go after him!"

She shoved his shoulder this time sending him back slightly. She kept pushing him hoping to make an effect while she spoke.

"Why would you do that?" she concluded her short rant.

He didn't say anything but remembered the fear of Grope from yesterday. He looked at Rebecca and saw the same fear but a more delicateness and innocence to her fear. He stumbled back when she pushed him and sat on the bed. She approached him and glared down at him, tears falling from her face onto his. The entire time he remained silent not knowing what to say or what to do. Too afraid to say something because he thought it might come out wrong and he would lose her. So he just sent a blank stare up at her. This continued for several minutes and outside they could hear people cowering from Maleficus and some muttering things about him being Skorm's right hand man or rumors of the deaths he had caused. Rebecca finally moved again and held Sabre's cheeks while she kissed him. Her lips were wet with her tears but he loved every second of it. He fell back onto his back and she lay on top of him continuing to kiss him. He held her body against his silently praying that it would never end. That Maleficus would never exist and that the world accept him again as just another person and not a bandit who hid in the trees. It wouldn't happen though, so he just continued to kiss her. His hands felt over the smooth skin of her back feeling over her shoulder blades and down the arch of her spine. When their lips finally separated, she didn't get off of him but just stared at him with a longing that she felt would never be satisfied.

* * *

Maleficus entered the bordello looking at the improvements from the last time he had been there. He saw a few of the girls idling about waiting for anxious customers and grinned.

"Well I'll be." He heard and turned to see the source of the voice. "Is that you, Maleficus?"

Grope approached him with outstretched arms and embraced the malicious hero.

"Ah, Grope." Maleficus said.

He turned again to the girls and watched them as Grope spoke.

"I tell you, we've got a fine lineup of girls. Tell you what, Maleficus." Grope tapped Maleficus on the chest catching his attention again. "I'll give you a discount on any girl. I mean, c'mon, what are old friends for, right?"

Grope laughed and notified the girls about the discount that Maleficus would receive. Maleficus of course, was going to take immediate advantage of it. He took Hedwig by the arm and turned her to face him. She looked up at him without fear and glared up at him. She was short compared to him but taller than the other women. Dark hair pulled up in a ponytail and black leather concealing the most private of her parts but not leaving much room for the imagination.

"You want Hedwig?" she said with a deep Russian accent.

Granted Russia didn't exist in Albion, that was still the accent she used.

"Hedwig is one thousand gold for you!" she demanded and he handed her the gold.

Hedwig led him up to the torture table where she conducted her seminars of sex and ordered him on his knees.

* * *

"Liana!" Avatar yelled as he burst into his house.

He was brimming with excitement at the information and the new quest for him at the guild.

"Liana!" he yelled again and charged upstairs.

She sat up from her bed still half asleep. He ran to her and lifted her into the air with his embrace.

When he set her down again she was fully awake and thoroughly confused.

"What are you so excited about?" she asked smiling at his excitement.

"I found my mother!" he almost shouted.

Her jaw dropped at this news and she sat him down asking the details.

"I don't know the full of it but she's being held in Bargate Prison. I need to find the Archaeologist. There's a quest card waiting for me about it. This is wonderful!"

He jumped into the air with her in his arms again crying out his praise and thanks to Avo. He set her down and was out the door again leaving her dizzy and giggling.

Avatar stopped at his door as he heard a noise to the side of his house. He looked over and saw Sabre crouching on a barrel staring at him. Neither said anything and Sabre was the only one with weapons between them. Avatar paid no attention to that though, he was still set on teaching the boy something, anything. Avatar almost spoke but Sabre interrupted him.

"I heard. I hope you find her." He said unmoving from his perch.

"I went to the bordello, like you asked." Avatar said this with some pride.

"And?"

"Grope fainted."

Sabre tried to stifle his laughter seeing as this was the same thing that happened when he was there.

"I asked about the deeds and he insisted he didn't know what I was talking about."

"I didn't even get that out of him." Sabre grunted staring down at the ground.

A moment of silence stood between them and then Avatar gathered his courage and spoke, "Where are you staying right now?"

"How do you know I'm staying somewhere?"

"Because you're clean."

"Oh yeah." Sabre said this looking at his arms glowing with cleanliness. "After I witnessed your battle with Maleficus, I was taken elsewhere by trees. I met a girl and she's taking care of me."

Avatar sensed hesitance in the story and prodded further, "Is she just taking care of you or is there more to it?"

Sabre let his feet come out and sat down on the barrel ,which put him at an extreme disadvantage were Avatar to strike at him. Avatar made no move to do this though and waited for Sabre to say something.

"She took me in without question when I was unconscious." He said looking up from the ground.

"And?" Avatar kept prodding.

"And what?"

"A hero doesn't gain this halo over his head without being able to see when someone is in love. Being able to see that kind of comes with being the righteous one."

Sabre blushed slightly and stammered trying to come up with the right words. He finally said something. "I'm not sure."

"What?"

"I'm not sure."

"Of what? Whether or not you're in love with this girl. How could you not be sure?"

Sabre looked up at him with a questioning look. "Because I've never felt them before. You have to understand that I was raised outside of civilization."

Avatar laughed at the naiveté of the boy and thought of how to explain it. "What do you feel when you're with her?"

"Warmth." He answered immediately.

Avatar laughed again and walked away laughing. Sabre stayed on the barrel watching children run about and guards patrolling the town. It angered him that he still didn't know what he was feeling for Rebecca. He assumed it was love but that would be absurd. He had only known her for a little over a week now. To assume that he loved her already was ridiculous, wasn't it. A scream interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see Maleficus approaching Avatar who was backing up. They were in heated argument but he couldn't tell what they were saying. He climbed the city wall and walked along the top trying to listen in. Guards started closing in around them ready to take action in case things got out of hand. He could finally hear their conversation.

"WHERE IS HE?" Maleficus screamed at Avatar.

"Who?" Avatar asked innocently.

"YOU KNOW WHO!" Maleficus screamed again. "THAT LITTLE BASTARD THAT HAS MY BOW! I WANT IT!"

Now Avatar was honestly confused. Then he remembered Skorm's Bow.

"You mean Sabre?" Avatar asked stopping.

"Yes." Maleficus's voice finally came down to a dull roar.

"I don't know where he is." Avatar said honestly. According to him, Sabre could be anywhere by now. "Why would I?"

"BULLSHIT!" Maleficus screamed again.

The guards fidgeted knowing very well that unless they could catch him completely off guard, they were no match for either hero.

"Maleficus." Avatar said calmly. "I need to get to the guild. There are matters which if I don't get to them immediately, will spiral out of control."

"You think I care. I want that bow."

"THEN GO GET IT!" Avatar yelled. "I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS!"

Maleficus stepped back at this outburst and looked shocked. He shook it off and stepped out of the way. Avatar ran past him and towards the Cullis Gate. Sabre wasn't sure about Avatar anymore, he couldn't tell if he was still out for glory or for the greater good. He knew what Maleficus was out for, that was obvious, but Avatar was a mystery. Maleficus cursed and walked away relieving the guards.

* * *

Sabre stepped into Rebecca's window. She was lying in her bed sleeping. He looked at the moon and sighed. He had hoped she would be awake. Until recently, she had always kept her window closed. She kept it open now for him. She sacrificed that warmth so that he could come to her in the night and feel the warmth of her. He went to the bed and stroked her hair back feeling it between his fingers. It felt like silk to him. He just wanted to feel it again before he went back to the bordello. He was out the window again and in Darkwood in a few minutes. He entered the bordello without care and saw the usual. Girls idle and Grope talking to the bartender drinking. He turned to see Sabre standing in the doorway and went wide-eyed. Sabre was to him in a second and slammed him against the wall.

"Where are they?" before Grope could say anything, Sabre said, "I don't want to hear lies. And I don't want to have to hurt you. Just tell me where the deeds to this place are and you can leave in peace."

Grope said nothing. He just chuckled and Sabre heard a ruffling in the trees. He turned to see a bandit running off into the distance at full sprint. Sabre's blood froze and his grip on Grope's throat loosened.

"I shoulda told ya." Grope laughed. "Maleficus is a friend of _mine_!"

Sabre knew where the bandit was going and knew that they would have checkpoints set up so that if the one fell, five others would know and eventually report back to Maleficus. So Sabre did what he could. He reached to Grope's bald head and held it. The scarred eye darted back and forth panicking.

"What are you doing?" Grope asked. "Hey! What is this?"

Grope yelled as Sabre tightened his grip and concentrated. Grope squirmed and screamed for the guards as Sabre tried to pull the knowledge from the bald man's mind. He wasn't sure if he could do this, but it was a good way to find out. He felt something, but he wasn't sure if it was what he wanted. Memories flooded his mind of ungrateful whores and how they would pay if they talked back. He shoved those aside and saw _Darkwood Bordello Deeds_. He stood up from the paralyzed Grope and ran down the hill. He skidded to a stop beside a tall tree and dug at the ground with his hands. When he returned, he held the deeds and gave it to the Madame of the bordello. It all seemed to happen so quickly to him. All in a moment he had solved their problems, or he hoped. But he had his own to worry about. He sprinted out of the building and out of the gate. He heard the trees moving and swaying in the wind. Or at least he prayed it was the wind. It wasn't as he had prayed. He ran into a bandit who wore the crest of Maleficus. He dispatched the bandit quickly and kept running. It would be a long fight to the finish.

* * *

**Blah! Kind of rushed at the end but I have an awesome idea and I'm sticking to it. So just treat the end as a sort of transition to the next chapter that I didn't write quite properly. Which is really what it is. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter is when the horrid things really start happening to Sabre. Just to make you that much more tense. I hope.**


	7. Maleficus

**Disclaimer:I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

Avatar reached down and grabbed hold of Maleficus's hand and pulled him up onto the cliff ledge. They both fell back onto their backs exhausted. Avatar breathed deeply and looked over at his Guild partner and friend and laughed.

"Your really must work on your physique. I can't help you all the time." He said.

"Ah to hell with you Chicken boy." Maleficus coughed sitting up. "You know I'm more in tune with Will."

"Yes, well, it can't hurt to train your body a bit more occasionally. And don't even start on titles _Arseface_." He said his friend's title with sarcasm and emphasis but laughed.

They stood up and looked out through the woods. They could see wasps and a few Hobbes standing around all waiting to be slain by a hero.

"How do you wanna handle this?" Avatar asked.

"Not sure. I'm still confused as to why the Guildmaster sent us out for this. We're still fledglings in the Guild."

"Yes, well, apparently we're very accelerated for our age and he wanted to see our true potential. I mean, look at us. You can already cast the second level of lightning and I can already wield heavy weapons. WE'RE APPRENTICES." They both laughed at the absurdity of it but slowly walked forward without a plan.

"Well, we might advance a bit faster if it weren't for your always flirting with that girl Whisper." Maleficus said as he rubbed his hands together.

Luckily, Maleficus had somehow come across a Bright Will User robe and now wore that save for the gloves. He hadn't managed to find those so he was about without a hat or gloves. Avatar had on the other hand bought Bright Leather Armor. He also wielded a steel katana.

"Don't even start. That girl hates me."

"Oh Avo help us. I do believe the great Chicken Chaser just told a lie!"

Avatar shoved him to the side frowning. He trained shortly with a young girl named Whisper who was the younger sister of the arena champion, Thunder. The Guildmaster saw it more fitting that Chicken Chaser and Arseface train with each other seeing as they could both make up for the other's weakness and had already become good friends.

"All right, you know I'm kidding." Maleficus came back to the side of his friends and heard the _SHING _of Avatar pulling out his katana. "I'll try and stabilize those two wasps at the side with some lightning and you take the Hobbe out in the middle."

"Sounds good. If you take them out in time, try and get whatever's coming at me next long enough for me to turn and strike it. Throw in a fireball or two and we'll be good."

"Right then."

Lightning arched from his hands and the wasps screamed in agony. Avatar rushed forward and dodged an attack of the Hobbe and came back up at its side slicing its stomach open. It was only a magic Hobbe so it went down easily. He turned to see a red Hobbe being electrocuted and he turned his sword over in his hands and drove it down into the Hobbe's throat. He drew it out in time to parry an attack from an oncoming Hobbe who stumbled back and fell forward dead after a fireball struck his back.

* * *

That was a good twenty years ago. At the time, Avatar would have trusted Maleficus with his life. Now he wouldn't trust him even if he were to donate a large sum of money at the Temple of Avo. He struggled against his bonds that held him now. He had been stripped of his armor and weapons and his massive figure lay on a torture table somewhere in the middle of Bargate Prison. He didn't know entirely how it happened. Jack of Blades had said he trapped him using the Guild Seal. But Avatar had put that trophy up in his house in Bowerstone. No, it had to be Maleficus. He was going after Sabre, he knew it. 

Sabre sat up in a tree waiting for any sign of Maleficus. He had encountered several bandits on his way to Greatwood and knew that Maleficus would undoubtedly be looking for him with every one of his available resources. So he just sat in his tree and waited. He saw the occasional bandit strike down a trader and rob him. Or a pixie come in and terrorize them sending scorpions and striking them with roots growing out of the ground. It pained him that he couldn't jump down and do something about it. If he did, he knew that spies would be out looking just for him and would be even sneakier than he was. They would report back to Maleficus with some unknown communication and he would be here in an instant.

The sky had darkened some time ago. It was mid afternoon but Maleficus's anger seemed to reflect on all of Albion.

"He's gone missing he has!" a trader said to another.

Two of them were passing by and all the bandits and pixies must have grown bored with terrorizing them.Sabre listened in without moving a single muscle.

"The Guild says that he's just disappeared. His Guild seal must have been deactivated or destroyed somehow."

"Do they know what happened at all?" the other trade asked deeply intrigued by the story.

"No, they just know that Jack of Blades showed up and then…they were gone."

Sabre knew the name, Jack of Blades. A masked man who had managed to cause even more terror and devastation to spread through the land than Maleficus. He shivered at the idea of what those two would be like together. It didn't cross his mind that they had worked together to capture Avatar but he barely knew of Avatar's disappearance yet. He forgot himself and jumped down from the tree to approach the traders and find out more of this and remembered this as soon as he was to them. He heard the rustling of leaves and sighed. The traders whirled around to see him standing there and cowered together. Rebecca had convinced him to remove the Howl tattoos but his face and character were still known throughout Albion. He looked up at them and his eyes glistened.

"Run." He murmured.

They looked at each other and then at him. "What?" one of them said.

"RUN!" he yelled drawing his bow.

They hit each other trying to run in opposite directions but collaborated briefly and ran back towards Lookout Point. Just in time as the sky turned crimson and thunder rolled across the sky. He stood alone in Greatwood holding his bow in his hand and a somber look upon his face. He slung the bow back over his shoulder and just waited. He promised himself that he would see Rebecca before this was over. He had decided after he left the bordello, that what he felt for her had to be love. Were he not waiting for Maleficus, he would be with her telling her so. Although he had the wrong idea about it, he knew she didn't love him. She was just kind. He prayed that he would be able to tell her even if it only meant to be rejected by her. He took his mind off of her. He heard Maleficus approaching.

"Well, hello boy."

He turned and saw the dark and sinister figure standing there. He stood with his left side facing Maleficus and without any preparation to take his bow out.

"What, no response? No retort? Nothing witty? And here I thought everyone your age was rebellious and spiteful." Maleficus was taunting him and he knew it.

"Well, as long as we're here. I suppose I should take the time to properly introduce myself." Maleficus said this with a hint of distaste in his voice.

"I…am the anger in your people's hearts. The jealousy of every husband and the greed of every wife. I'm the hatred of every sibling and the intolerance of every person for another. I'm the fear of every family. I'm the alienation of change. The corruption of every mayor and the grief, which resides in you when you find your loved one hurt. I'm the evil by which Skorm rules. I, boy, am the truth. I…am Maleficus."

Maleficus bowed as he said his name and stood back up straight his pale face glowing and his eyes burning holes into Sabre's soul.

"Are you afraid of me?" Maleficus said with sadistic delight.

Sabre still said nothing but kept his brown downward and stared at Maleficus.

"Not in the talking mood? I asked you a question."

"No." Sabre finally said.

He said this truthfully. He realized this now as he thought of his encounter with Grope, the people screaming and panicking as they saw Maleficus coming. And finally he thought of Rebecca. Not once had she shown any sign of being afraid of Sabre. She took him in and gave him the warmth of herself. In spite of his appearance, which alone was enough to scare most men, she still loved him. So he knew now that he wasn't afraid. Of Maleficus, of evil, of fear, of anything.

"No?" Maleficus repeated with some surprise.

"No." Sabre replied again.

Fear was a weapon. It was a tool that someone could use if they were allowed to by others. Sabre had proved that he could use this weapon. If your opponent has a sword, then don't fight him. But if you have a sword as well, he is at no more of an advantage over you then you over him. It is only when you incorporate skill is the advantage swayed. The only problem was that people paid more attention to the weapon than the wielder. They only saw the weapon and what it could do, they never considered that they too had the weapon.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Maleficus said as the devilish grin fade from his face.

His eyes glowed with an fierce intensity. Neither of them made a move of violence towards the other.

"You know I'm going to kill you, right?" Maleficus said trying to clarify that the boy didn't have any foolish ideas.

"Probably." Sabre said shrugging.

"Probably? There is no probably to this, boy. It's goin…"

"STOP CALLING ME BOY!" Sabre shouted moving towards Maleficus who stepped back in shock at the outburst. "I have a name. It's Sabre. Learn to use it you pathetic excuse for a hero."

Maleficus clenched his fists trying to contain his rage.

"Don't you dare speak to me that way you impudent little bastard."

"Impudent?" Sabre repeated. "You call me impudent. This is the second time you've called me that. Why is it that you're called a hero? Because of the magnitude of what you've done?"

Sabre stepped forward towards Maleficus who took a step backward with a look of surprise on his face.

"All of you heroes are alike. Every one of you. You claim that the magnitude of your deeds is what makes you great. You claim that if you slaughter an entire village of people, you'll be greater. No! You're just more renown. You're more powerful maybe. Avatar claims he is righteous but he does what he does for himself. He does it to spread the word of his name. Avatar the Great. The man who will come and liberate us all! You're no different. Maleficus the Terrible. Maleficus the Destroyer. No, Maleficus the Coward!"

While this was all being said, he never stopped moving towards Maleficus. He wanted every word to have impact and it was. Maleficus was growing angrier and angrier but dared not approach the boy. Something drove him not to strike first.

"Let me tell you what a true hero is." Sabre said. "A true hero…is a great someone who does something great because it is what he believes in. They don't care about whether or not the people love them, as long as they know what they're doing is right. They put others before themselves and _never_ think of their own reputation."

Maleficus backed up against a tree and the power for a fireball course towards his hand.

"Do you follow this philosophy…boy?" Maleficus threw the fireball as Sabre arched his back and did a flip landing on his feet. The fireball crashed behind him and he ran towards Maleficus.

Maleficus began to conjure another one but Sabre jumped into the air and took hold of a branch, which threw him to another tree.

"WHAT!" Maleficus yelled seeing this anomaly. "NOOO!"

He threw his second fireball sending it through branches burning them but missing the swinging figure of Sabre. Sabre landed on a firm branch and brought out his bow. He brought out and arrow and shot it towards Maleficus. Maleficus stepped to the side and let the arrow strike the tree behind him. He looked at the pure black shaft and his rage heightened.

"USE MY OWN BOW AGAINST ME?" Maleficus's hands crackled with lightning and fire and he turned to find Sabre.

Sabre set another arrow and released it but Maleficus had activated his physical shield. He could only wear it down and that would take a while. So he took again to travel and tree after tree threw him. He turned back to release and arrow and it was burnt out of the arrow by an oncoming fireball. Sabre fell backwards as the fireball soared over his head and struck the stone wall behind him. He caught a branch and then let go landing on the ground. He stood up straight and released and arrow. Maleficus threw lightning towards Sabre who was picked up by the tree and latched himself to the trunk thirty feet up.

"So, it's the trees that are your friends, eh?" Maleficus said with that devilish grin of his.

He charged a fireball and threw it into the nearest tree. Sabre heard it groan in anguish and it infuriated him. Maleficus struck the tree that Sabre was on with a fireball and the tree screamed in Sabre's ears. He clenched his teeth at the sound and let go of the trunk. His feet touched the ground and he sprinted off trying to avoid trees. He ducked behind a rock hearing the lightning arch towards him. He looked from the side to see Maleficus standing there with the same malevolent look on his face as usual. Though this time, Sabre couldn't tell what he was about to do. Maleficus crouched down and a massive pentagram inside of a circle formed on the ground around him. It seemed to burn where it was. Sabre noted that at least five trees were inside this circle. That would soon change as Maleficus lifted his hands into the air and great pillars of fire reached up and obliterated the trees. Sabre fell to the ground holding his ears from the horrible sounds that erupted from the trees. Maleficus was unbothered as he heard nothing. Sabre's ears on the other hand heard it all and he felt blood course out over his hands. He raised his head with tears streaming down his cheeks. He got to his feet and ran around the rock as Maleficus was preparing to repeat the spell.

Sabre sprinted and Maleficus crouched down again, the pentagon forming beneath him. Sabre lunged through the air and tackled the mage to the ground. He pulled an arrow out and struck at the shield with fist and arrow almost pointlessly. Maleficus, being a mage, couldn't compare in strength even to this savage boy.

"Well then!" he yelled laughing.

Maleficus's burning hand struck the ground and a flurry of flames burst up from the ground around them causing unspeakable pain to Sabre's entire body. He cried out in agony and fell back. Maleficus began to rise but Sabre regained himself in time to sweep the feet out from under him. Maleficus fell again to the ground and Sabre ran towards Greatwood Lake.

Maleficus's laugh drowned out the sound of the flames and echoed in Sabre's mind. He turned just at the stone archway leading out of Greatwood Entrance to see Maleficus standing amidst the fiery hell that he had created. The trees wailed in agonizing pain as their leaves burnt away and the breeze fed the fires. Maleficus glared upward at Sabre from the flames he had made of the forest. He could see the panic and sadness in Sabre's face even from his distance. He enjoyed it. He cast another fireball at his feet again just to add to the flames and walked forward slowly. Sabre ran through the archway and into Greatwood Lake.

* * *

Avatar screamed in pain as guards pushed red hot pikes into his sides and ran blades all over his body. His back touched the table again and Avatar panted heavily. He struggled against his bonds but to no avail. The guards chuckled stupidly and struck him again with the pikes. Avatar screamed again and slammed his head against the table struggling. When they stopped, a guard came close to his face and talked to him. 

"You like that, don't a?" the guard smiled.

Avatar panted and brought his forehead breaking the guard's nose and knocking him unconscious.

"Hey!" another exclaimed and pushed the pike into Avatar's side again.

Avatar clenched his teeth and exhaled sharply letting out a high pitched wheezing sound. The guard stopped and dropped the pike picking up his friend. He opened the door and walked out backwards taking the other guard to the infirmary.

"The warden will be hearing of your actions." The guard threatened. "You'll be getting another round in here!"

"You tell your warden that." Avatar barked. "And you tell him that when I get out of here, he's dead. I'll not rest until I find him and kill him. And you tell him the inmates will be with me!"

The guard closed the iron bars and left the room. Avatar set his head back and whispered his prayers and vows of revenge. His mother was in here somewhere as well, he would need to find her and get her out as well. The next race he told himself. They had already been through one and it would be almost another year before the next one. Another year of torture and pain. His bald head glistened with the blood of the guard and he smiled at his accomplishment. This of course quickly turned to disdain and sadness at the thought of Maleficus going after Sabre. Avo only knew what Maleficus could do to the boy.

* * *

Sabre stumbled forward and landed on his stomach. He was almost out of Greatwood Gorge now and into Greatwood Caves. Maleficus was destroying everything in his path. The trees, the traders, and bandits all alike. Sabre coughed exhaling smoke and dropped tears onto the ground. His face was smudged and his hands ached from climbing. He turned over to see the hell hole from which he had just emerged and saw nothing but flame. He could hear the laugh of Maleficus through it all and stood up again. He ran down the path into a clearing of Hobbes and a Demon Door. The Hobbes turned to look at him and growled. Three of them came at him and he made quick work of them sending an arrow through the head of two of them and grabbing the third and twisting its neck sharply. He ran to the Demon Door and cried for it to open. 

"What? Slow down boy, I can barely understand you!" the Demon Door said trying to calm him but doing little seeing as it was a giant stone face.

A fireball hit a tree down the path and Sabre could hear the echoing of Maleficus's laughs.

"Please, let me in!" Sabre sobbed pushing on the Door's chin.

"Sounds like you've got the apocalypse itself following you. Very well, in you go." The Door separated and allowed passage for Sabre.

He dove through and heard the gentle harp music of the inner sanctum of a Demon Door. He fell backwards and slid down a path lined with water. Sabre sobbed as he turned over and pushed himself to his feet. In front of him was a chest glowing with an unseen radiance. Sabre sighed and went forward to open it. The inside of it glowed and he reached in to take hold of what prize he could find. His hand found the hilt of a sword and he slowly pulled it out. Inside was a green blade with arches along the edge and expanding as it came away from the hilt. Sabre looked it over in wonder and guessed it to be about three feet.

"What is this?" he asked out loud.

"The Cutlass Bluetane." The Demon Door spoke back. "It's one of the many legendary weapons throughout Albion. Cutlasses were generally used by shipmates in Hook Coast but the Bluetane was part of a great treasure and has yet to see combat. Its hunger for blood is…palpable."

Sabre heard the laughter of Maleficus and felt along the green blade. "Well then let's feed it."

* * *

**Phew! Difficult chapter to write. And the longest one so far. Around 3500 words. That's not much really but it's more than I've been making by abouta thousand to 1500. Anyway, thank you all for your reviews. Especially the wonderful Spazzchicken who has been reviewing this entire time and has yet to miss a chapter. Thanks. That's all I have to say for now.**


	8. Sabre

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters**

Both Avatar and Maleficus stood at the ready. Maleficus's dark robes flittered in the breeze. Avatar stood with his back to his companion's and held an Obsidian Cleaver high above his head. His golden chain mail shone in the daylight but no enough to distract their enemies.

"I count thirty-five." Maleficus whispered.

"Really. Damn!" Avatar responded.

"What?" Maleficus said panicking.

"I counted forty. I was hoping there would be more." Avatar sighed.

Maleficus laughed out loud and he shook his hands readying them.

"You, Druid!" a bandit shouted at Maleficus. "Shut up before I cut your tongue out!"

"Oh please don't do that!" Maleficus laughed. "My tongue is what I'm best with. The tongue is what we use to speak to our ladies and seduce them into our beds. And believe me my friend, the tongue's uses don't stop into just getting her into the bed."

Maleficus laughed out loud and Avatar turned slightly to say to him, "I'd laugh if that weren't what you did."

Maleficus smiled and said, "Oh lighten up, Liberator. I'm just having some fun."

"Yeah, you've been having a lot of fun lately." Avatar snapped back and the cleaver came down in front of him ready to strike.

"We'll discuss it afterward. Right now, I'm sending their souls to hell."

"I really hate when you do that."

Maleficus ignored him and the pentagram formed beneath him. He crouched down and bandits ran at him trying to stop him. Avatar swung his cleaver in a full circle right over Maleficus's head sending a few of them sprawling. They never hit the ground as the pillars of fire arched upward and tore their bodies apart. Avatar could hear them screaming and never understood why his friend enjoyed this power so much.

* * *

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Avatar screamed. 

He lay on the torture table panting trying to fend off the visions of his adventures he had with Maleficus when they were younger. Jack of Blades was almost as sadistic as Maleficus. He was somewhere nearby enjoying the spectacle of this no doubt. Avatar's body was scarred now, beyond repair. But that didn't satisfy Jack. No. He had to scar his mind as well. And that took a special kind of torture. Memories were the best sort of torture any person could go under. And Jack knew that. Avatar only wanted to reside in the comfort of his wife once more. She would hold his massive figure and sing beautiful songs he had never heard of but loved to hear them because her voice was like a dream. A never-ending dream. Much like this torture was a never-ending nightmare.

* * *

Sabre trudged through the Darkwood swamps trying to get somewhere where he could get the advantage over Maleficus. Or at least make it a fair fight. Both of those seemed highly impossible at the moment, however. He stopped when he got to solid ground again and fell to his hands and knees trying to rest for a moment. 

"I'll see Albion burn if it means I get to you, boy!" Maleficus had yelled.

His words carved their place in Sabre's mind burning his soul to its very core. Sabre looked at the bow in his hand. He had taken down some Hobbes and a Balverine or two. Maleficus wasn't trying that hard to catch Sabre, only to scare him. And it was working. Sabre's hands shook and his arrows didn't fly as straight as they normally did. As a result, he was almost bitten by a Balverine. He looked behind him and saw the entire sky glowing in the distance. Maleficus was undoubtedly enjoying terrorizing everyone he saw just to poison Sabre's mind. Sabre put the bow away and looked at his trembling hands. They were bleeding and the muscles in them ached like nothing he had ever felt before.

_Oakvale._ He thought to himself.

He could get to Oakvale and finish Maleficus off there. But Rebecca. A sharp pang hit Sabre's stomach at the thought of him bringing Rebecca into the path of harm. He rolled over and sat down with his feet up in front of him looking out towards the sky. He could only begin to hear Maleficus's voice. Taunting and goading Sabre to come and fight him. Sabre had said things he had never thought he would be capable of saying to Maleficus. He had said them without fear. And now, he sat without fear again, trying to think of something. He thought of the fear that Maleficus had brought upon people and knew he could use it, he just didn't know how. Much like the sword on his back, the Cutlass Bluetane. He knew how to fight in close combat, it just wasn't as familiar to him. Maybe he is afraid. Maybe that's why he destroys everything around him. He's afraid that if he doesn't, it will destroy him. If he didn't kill Sabre, Sabre would kill him. All this for a bow? Sabre cursed the damn thing and got up again seeing Maleficus coming around. All too often their gazes were meeting together. It seemed Maleficus was getting sick of this now, he began to run towards Sabre. Sabre turned around and ran towards Oakvale. He was thinking of what to do, he just needed to know what it was and how to do it.

* * *

Sabre arrived in Oakvale and looked around. Nothing he could immediately use. A guard. A guard! 

"YOU!" Sabre shouted to the guard and ran to him. "Maleficus is on his way. Warn the town."

"Right." The guard said but stopped and turned to look at Sabre. "Wait, I know you. You're that Sabre bastard who hit me in the face the night of the bandit raid!"

Sabre swore and cursed his luck. He punched the guard in the face, that part he wasn't sure why he did.

"GO WARN THE TOWN!" Sabre yelled and kicked the guard in the rear sending him in the direction of the town horn.

Sabre looked up to the tree near the archway and told himself he was an idiot. But it was the only way. He climbed the tree swearing each time his hand touched the tree and cut him further. Sabre swung up onto the branch and pulled out his bow. He crouched low behind the leaves waiting to pounce. He pulled out a black arrow and set it. The horn blew and he could hear the people begin to scurry about.

_Good on you._ Sabre silently told the guard.

Tradition never failed with Sabre as he spread his legs onto two branches hiding behind leaves and readied the bow. It was only a few seconds before Maleficus came charging through the archway with reckless abandonment. Sabre let the arrow go and it bounced off of Maleficus's shield. Maleficus looked at the ground instead of up and then fell to the ground when Sabre tackled him. They were now face to face, Sabre holding Maleficus's arms down.

"Are you ready to die, boy?" Maleficus laughed maniacally.

Maleficus slammed his shielded head into Sabre's face knocking him backward long enough for Maleficus to break free of the boy's grip. Sabre stumbled back and reached behind him to unsheathe the Cutlass Bluetane. He held it in his right hand ready to bring up into Maleficus who stood looking at the blade.

"So. You've found a new weapon?" Maleficus eyed the green blade and then the boy holding it. "I suppose that means you won't be needing that bow anymore. Why don't you just give it to me?"

Sabre growled his response; "You can have it when my cold and lifeless body can't hold onto it any longer."

Sabre noted how far he was from the wooden fence and gripped the hilt of the Cutlass tightly.

"Well, I'm always one for making those." Maleficus said.

He then raised a flaming fist in the air and brought it to the ground. Fortunately, Sabre knew what he was doing and flipped backwards landing on the fence and then jumping into the air. The fire lapped at his feet briefly whilst he was in mid-air and he brought the Cutlass down on Maleficus's head. Maleficus stumbled backward but was initially unharmed. Sabre struck him again from every angle he could see unguarded and Maleficus was unable to gain his balance to cast a spell. Maleficus fell back and took the advantage of the brief pause to tackle at Sabre. Sabre moved to the side and stood over Maleficus who turned over with his hands glowing with lightning. Sabre turned to move but felt the burning of electricity surging through his body. He screamed as Maleficus slowly stood back up and came close enough that his hand was almost touching Sabre's skin.

"See this, boy!" Maleficus yelled over the lightning. "THIS IS POWER! POWER THAT YOU'LL NEVER HAVE!" Maleficus laughed loudly and put his hand against Sabre's skin.

Sabre let out a bloodcurdling scream and began to levitate in the air.

"POWER, BOY!" Maleficus stopped laughing and slowly raised his hand into the air. "That's all that matters!"

Sabre's arms flailed about trying to grasp something but found nothing. Through the electrocution, he could still only think of one thing. Rebecca. He had made a promise. He wasn't about to go against it. He wasn't about to throw that away. With that, his hands moved with all his strength towards Maleficus's arm. He clenched his teeth and forced them to take hold of his opponent's wrist. Maleficus looked in horror as the energy was transferred through both of them and he was shot back through the fence and into the tree. Sabre hit the rock side and slid down panting. A black spot where Maleficus had put his had formed. Sabre gasped and squirmed trying to fend off the pain. Maleficus stood up dazed, his physical shield deactivated and his right glove burnt away. He shook his head and tried to stand up but just stumbled back against the tree again. A lone guard was watching this from near the sheltered bridge up the hill and gawked on at this epic battle.

"Maleficus." Sabre managed to cough.

Maleficus looked up at Sabre trying to regain himself and stumbled towards the fence. He slammed into it coughed over the side of it.

"Maleficus." Sabre said more coherently this time.

He was regaining his strength and took hold of the Cutlass again. Maleficus stepped through the debris of what was the fence and fell forward onto his face.

"Maleficus."

"Stop saying that." Maleficus growled and began walking and falling further towards the town of Oakvale.

"MALEFICUS!" he heard Sabre scream.

Maleficus fell forward and closed his eyes trying to concentrate. Four Ghost Swords appeared and waited for Sabre. Maleficus grabbed the fence and steadied himself trying to walk along. Sabre ignored what pain he still felt and saw the stumbling figure getting away. He also saw the Ghost Swords and readied the Cutlass. They came at him in almost gang fashion and he was forced to parry while only striking with occasional ferocity. His gaze fell on the distant figure of Maleficus and he struck one of the swords down and ran past the other two left behind. Two had dissipated and he had his eye on something greater. A few townspeople were out of their doors looking at Maleficus shocked at his exhaustion.

"MALEFICUS!" Sabre came bounding down the path screaming.

Maleficus turned and stressed his powers to activate his physical shield. It activated just as Sabre took hold of him.

"Let's see what good these horns do you now!" Sabre yelled and took hold of the two horns on Maleficus's head.

He spun around holding the horns and let go as he built up the most momentum sending Maleficus through a window of the tavern. The Ghost Swords caught up and Sabre was forced to fend them off.

"MALEFICUS! FACE ME YOURSELF, YOU COWARD!"

Maleficus landed across the coin gold table and onto the ground. Tavern goers stepped back away from the glowing mage and stared down at him. They were somewhat shocked at how helpless he looked. One woman approached him but he swung upward with lightning sending her onto a table unconscious. Maleficus coughed as he raised himself to his hands and knees. He felt the power return to him as Sabre finished the last of the Ghost Swords. Maleficus raised himself using one of the tables and looked out the window. Sabre was glaring at him through the window panting. For once, Maleficus knew that he was afraid. He trembled at the sight of Sabre and stumbled towards the door.

Sabre rounded the corner and was met by a weak fireball, which sent him back hitting the ground. He gained his footing again and ran at the limping Maleficus. He tackled at him and sent Maleficus to the ground. Maleficus rolled over on the ground and put his hands up to Sabre's chest.

"Feel the power boy!" Maleficus said sending two fireballs into his chest.

Sabre's scream of pain couldn't be heard over the explosion, which also caused Maleficus's shield to dissipate again. Sabre lay on the ground a few feet away from Maleficus sobbing with his entire torso burnt. Maleficus slowly and painfully got to his feet and smiled with this victory.

"I told you boy. You're going to die. And I will have that bow." Maleficus said occasionally interrupted with a cough. "These people fear me. And they will always fear…"

He looked up to see several people surrounding the area. And more of them were coming.

"What are you all doing here?" Maleficus said angrily. "LEAVE!"

A few of them flinched but no one left. Instead, they seemed to be closing in. They hadn't formed a solid circle but there were many of them still to come.

"I said LEAVE!" Maleficus barked at them drooling slightly.

His eyes glowed fiercely at them but it didn't seem to be having the same effect. Sabre looked up through his tears to seem them surrounding him and Maleficus. He saw the looks on their faces and managed a smile. Fear is a weapon. A weapon that can be used by any man or woman. Fear is responsible for the fall of nations and heroes alike. And now Maleficus was to understand this. Sabre felt hands taking him by the wrists and arm lifting him to his feet. It pained him to use the muscles in his torso but he was being helped.

"Leave him there!" Maleficus yelled at those helping Sabre.

None of them complied, they didn't even flinch at his voice or command. Sabre looked up at them and saw the confidence they now held. There was some power that couldn't compare though. Maleficus held that power.

"No!" Sabre said.

He pushed the people helping him away. An invisible force shot from Maleficus pushing the townspeople away from him. It was now Sabre and Maleficus alone on the path. A few of the people groaned and shook their heads dazed from the Force Push.

"You can barely stand!" Maleficus spat. "And you expect to beat me?"

Blood fell from Sabre's lip and went down his chin. He coughed up more of it and smiled a bloody and toothy smile.

"I expect you to die." Sabre said, his voice garbled slightly.

Maleficus was feeling stronger as he wasn't using magic and walked towards Sabre. Maleficus prepared to hit Sabre again with lightning but Sabre grabbed his wrist and twisted it. Maleficus growled in pain and tried to pull away. Maleficus summoned a minion in front of them and it took to attacking Sabre. Sabre somersaulted forward taking hold of the Cutlass and spun slicing the minion. The summoned being disappeared and left Maleficus alone with Sabre. Sabre dropped the Cutlass and limped towards Maleficus.

"You end here." Sabre said.

Again Maleficus tried to strike him with lightning but Sabre grabbed both wrists and brought Maleficus to his knees. Maleficus grunted and tried swiping at Sabre bought only brought the boy down behind him. Sabre grabbed Maleficus around his throat and fell down onto his back. Maleficus's physical shield went up and Sabre grinned.

"Does that shield protect your bones?"

Maleficus pulled down on Sabre's arms beginning to panic and tried to squirm out of his grip.

"Tell me something boy…you never…answered me." Maleficus muttered struggling with the arms of Sabre. "Do you follow your own philosophy?"

Sabre looked forward and saw Rebecca standing at the top of the hill looking down at them. Even from the distance that they were at, he could clearly see her eyes. They showed a fear but at the same time a relief. He looked down at the head he held in his hands and his muscles tensed. The pain of having something on his burnt abdomen and the muscles was almost unbearable. He closed his eyes and whispered in Maleficus's ear.

"My name is Sabre." He twisted Maleficus's head quickly and the struggling stopped.

Those who were still awake were now watching intently at the dead hero and Sabre. The physical shield dissipated and Sabre was left with a limp and lifeless body in his arms. The eyes had stopped glowing and there was no longer a red aura around his legs. Sabre slowly let go as though he wasn't sure Maleficus was dead or not. He felt the ground rumble and pulled himself along the ground trying to get away from the body. A chasm opened underneath the body of Maleficus and it red flames leapt up to take the body down into the depths of Skorm's domain. A burst of flames shot up with blinding ferocity and the chasm slowly closed. Sabre's panting slowed and he tried to move but the pain had come to an unbearable point. He could vaguely see the outline of Rebecca's head in the sunlight and smiled.

"I love you." He managed to say coherently before he passed.

* * *

Somewhere, Jack of Blades grew furious and bombarded Avatar's mind with memories and horrific images. 

"Listen to me, you pathetic hero." Jack's voice echoed in Avatar's mind. "I will have you dead and then I will make this world BURN!"

* * *

**I'm updating rapidly a lot. I think I'm just getting these ideas and can't help but give them to you all. As I'm posting this, Chapter 7 doesn't have more than 3 hits and no reviews. Oh right. GASP Sabre passed? Meh, don't worry. This entire story is about him. I know it kind of ruins things but I'm not going to name the story after a character and then kill the character...or am I? Anyway, might be a little while before I update, then again, it might not.**


	9. Things Move On

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

**Author's Note: I thought I should warn you, there is some sexual content in this chapter. I'm changing the description to include that so that I don't have to include that each time it's in a chapter.**

"Do you want me to kill her?" Maleficus whispered holding his knife to a girl's throat.

His tongue lapped out and slid up the girl's cheek. Avatar stood twenty feet away with the Katana Hiryu in his hand. He knew he couldn't Battle Charge, the force of it would kill the girl. He couldn't run at them, Maleficus would slit her throat and disappear within the time it took him to get there. He wasn't accurate enough with any ranged weapons to hit Maleficus from this range so he had to just sit there and mutter his protests while awaiting Maleficus's actions.

"She tastes like strawberries." Maleficus laughed as his tongue came back to his mouth.

He was only beginning to sprout horns and his eyes had become hollow black representations of what they once were. The girl let out a whimper and tears stained her cheeks making trails in the dirt that covered her face now.

"Shut up or I'll slit your throat now." Maleficus smiled at Avatar.

"You went wrong somewhere." Avatar said turning the katana's blade in the air.

"Wrong." Maleficus annunciated the word. "I just found my path. They encourage that at the guild. It was you who went wrong telling me I had strayed."

"Don't do this!" Avatar stepped forward but stopped as a drop of blood trickled down the blade.

"Do what?" Maleficus asked turning the blade upward.

The girl whimpered again but was compliant in her movements. She didn't move from her position. She didn't grasp his arm, she just stood there with her arms at her sides.

"You've already killed one hero. Stop now before you kill another."

"Whisper deserved it!" Maleficus snarled. "And this girl is no one. Why would you care for her? She's not a hero. She's not even part of the guild."

"Then why do you want her?" Avatar made another step tensing at the sight of the girl's pain.

"She's a symbol." Maleficus laughed. "A symbol of my redemption in the eyes of Skorm."

"She's not a symbol!" Avatar shouted kicking a large rock past Maleficus and over the edge of the cliff. "That's a person you're holding in your hands. Living flesh and blood. Why should she die just because you decided that your path is more important than her life?"

"Not for my path." Maleficus stayed calm now. "For my service. With this blood…" He said this letting the droplet of blood slide down onto his tongue, "I confirm that my servitude to Skorm is absolute. Remember Twinblade? He's mine now. I have him twisted so far around my finger that he cries at the sight of me. This girl is no more than just another step. And who knows, I may just keep her. I may just have her as my slave."

Maleficus's hand felt down over the girl's chest and opened her shirt revealing her breast. He chuckled maliciously at Avatar's disgust and the girl's silent protests as he felt over it.

"She's a bit young for you, isn't she?" Avatar growled.

"Nonsense, she's eighteen, isn't she? That's the perfect age. And I seem to remember a little tryst between you and…oh what was her name?" Maleficus had remembered the name.

He had killed her only a few days before. But he knew that would only infuriate Avatar even further.

"Don't you dare speak of what I did like that!" Avatar ground his teeth together. "I repented for what I did. I regret it. Not that you would know what that word means."

"Oh, so spiteful. Did you ever tell Whisper that? She would have felt so rejected, I'm sure." Maleficus took his hand off of the girl's breast and put it back on her abdomen. "And you're wrong, I do know what that word means. I've felt it too. Like when I was a friend to you. I regret that. When I praised Avo's name. I regret that as well. Is that enough for you?"

Maleficus let the blade slide and blood gushed from the girl's neck. He fell backwards and off the cliff out of Avatar's reach who yelled and ran to the girl. He dropped his blade and fell to his knees holding her head in his lap. He generated the energy to heal but only felt his own refreshing spell. The girl was unaffected. The blood fell freely and soaked into what cloth he wore. Tears fell from Avatar's eyes and mingled with the blood of the girl. Both fell to the earth and soaked in. Maleficus had won this fight.

_I'll kill you._ Avatar swore to himself and silently to Maleficus. _When you die, when the last bit of life is pulled from your body and the victor stands above your body in triumph, it'll be me. I promise._

* * *

Rebecca carried fresh sheets up to her bedroom. She smiled and reveled in what she held felt the night before. What had torn her old sheets and messed them up. Those who grow up in the wild have a natural ferocity and abnormal stamina that almost oozes off of them. Sabre was no exception. Knothole Glade was a wonderful place to Rebecca. She loved it from the moment she arrived. How Sabre explained what memories he had of the place where he was born. She had pressed herself close to him as he explained its history. About the White Balverine. The town's insistence on always being terrorized. Less than five years old when he was taken away from his home. His parents burned at the stake because people thought them to be necromancers. Now, though not married to him, she lived and slept in the same bed with Sabre. 

When she came up the stairs into the bedroom, the old and torn sheets were still on the ground from their lustful night. Sabre wasn't in the room but had laughed when he saw the scratches on his back. He had teased that her nails were as sharp as a Balverine's. She only blushed and hid her face giggling. As she replaced the sheets, she smiled at his stories of him growing up. First found a bow when he was six and used Knothole Glade's archery range when the town was asleep to improve. He occasionally stole food and such to nurture himself. She fixed the new sheets over the bed and knelt down to pick up the old ones. Her hands grasped them and she closed her eyes remembering the night before. Sabre's hair tangling with hers as she called out for him to be closer and kissed him. His body pressing against hers gleaming with sweat.

The chief had come to them the next morning and laughed as Sabre apologized for the raucous. The chief wasn't worried about that, he was just happy to see them settling in so nicely. It was not much less than a year since Sabre had killed Maleficus. Most people put up with certain things to a degree from him. Some showered him with gifts, some thanked Avo that he had sent such a blessing unto them. Others weren't of happy of course. The bandits were without a leader. And there were those who idolized Maleficus. Saw him as the only true hero in years. They hated Sabre for what he had done. So Sabre left the mainland and traveled to Knothole Glade. Rebecca insisted she come with him, she refused to let him go alone after he had told her what he felt.

"I suppose we should be more careful." Rebecca looked up at the sound of Sabre's voice.

He looked almost the same as he always did, bandit outfit but for the assassin pants and boots. He had assured her they were clothes he would not soon rid himself of. He had rid himself of his old tattoos, however. His skin was bare now. She smiled up at him and shook her head.

"No, I think we were just fine. I never liked those sheets anyway."

Sabre came over and wrapped his arms around her stomach and pulled her close. He stood behind her as he kissed her neck and rubbed her bare stomach. She exhaled deeply and smiled.

"You're just incorrigible, aren't you?" she said loving the touch of his lips against her skin.

"Not really." He said between kisses. "I just don't like the color of these new sheets."

* * *

Avatar came out into Lychfield Graveyard with his mother. She panted and sat down on the stairs trying to regain her energy. 

"Oh, I haven't run like that in years." She said.

Avatar looked at the Kraken tooth in his hand.

"Well, you certainly act like a hero." She said looking at the tooth. "Always claiming your prize."

"What about Jack?" Avatar said spitefully.

"He'll come for us. For your sister as well. No one knows where she is. Save for a few bandits, maybe. Jack cannot find her, under no circumstances."

Avatar finally began to breathe again. He had held his breath and each turn as another danger cropped up and threatened his mother. She had been hurt in his battle with the Kraken, but he was able to heal her. As a reward for winning the annual race, inmates were taken into the Warden's office where he read them poetry. Avatar had managed to find the key to the cells and stolen it. When he returned, he escaped with his fellow inmates. He used the key to find the Warden again and kill him just as he had promised. Now he was reunited with his mother again, ready to rejoin the world.

* * *

"It can't be." The Guildmaster looked warily at his guild seal. 

"What is it, Guildmaster?" the young apprentice asked.

"It's Avatar. His guild seal has been reactivated. I daresay he's alive and well. And with his mother no less. This is…this is extraordinary."

The Guildmaster squeezed the seal and spoke clearly.

"Your guild seal seems to have been reactivated. Welcome back, hero. There have been many things happening since you have left. Come back to the guild, we have much to discuss."

* * *

"I love you." Rebecca whispered in Sabre's ear. 

She knew he loved hearing that. He rarely heard it when he lived outside of civilization. And when he did hear it, it wasn't addressed to him. It was between to couples. Or a parent to a child. He grew tired of constantly. Now that it was addressed to him though, he never felt such a way again. He always kissed her when she said it. He had only told her he loved her twice now. She didn't mind, she understood. It was still an emotion he wasn't too familiar with. He had told her he loved her when he was near death, immediately after killing Maleficus. And again before they first lay together in lustful settings.

"I love you." She said again.

He held her tighter each time she said it. Kissing her neck and feeling up her naked back. The warmer climate of Knothole Glade required that they wear not such warm clothing. As a result, Rebecca's stomach and most of her back was bare. She wore shorter skirts that only came down to her shins and wore her hair up in a ponytail except when she was 'With' Sabre.

"I love you."

* * *

"Liana." Avatar stood in the doorway of his home. 

The plate shattered as it hit the ground sending glass and food all over the wooden floorboards. Liana, Avatar's wife, turned to see the sun blocked out by his figure. A trembling hand reached up to his face, unsure of if it was really him. She was soon assured as no one else picked her up quite like him. He swept her off her feet and lifted her to his face kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her hair fell over his head covering it. Behind him, they could both hear whispers and cheers of joy from those who saw him. Soon the entire town would know that the mayor of Bowerstone and champion of Albion had returned. They would rejoice and have celebrations in his name. He had not yet gone back to the guild. When the Guildmaster contacted him about this, Avatar's only response was that the Guild could wait. His wife couldn't.

"Oh, Avo." His wife praised. "Thank you for bringing back my Avatar. I knew you wouldn't leave me without saying goodbye."

"I'll never leave you." Avatar said cradling her head against his shoulder. "And I'll never say goodbye."

Tears streamed from her face as she told him all that she did after he disappeared. "I was so worried that you were dead or something. But now that you're back and Maleficus is gone and…"

"What!" he hushed her.

"What? What's wrong?"

"What about Maleficus?" she saw shock and panic in his eyes.

"He's gone. You haven't heard yet?" Avatar shook his head and set her down. "Sabre killed him. And almost died doing so. He broke Maleficus's neck in Oakvale." She looked on in disbelief at the grief it looked like on Avatar's face. "Maleficus destroyed almost all of Greatwood just trying to get to him. Why do you look so distraught about this? I'd think you'd be happy to hear about Maleficus's reign of terror ending."

"I am." Avatar said shakily. "It's something else."

"What?"

He looked at her and saw the curiosity. He couldn't tell her. She would brush it aside as foolishness or just try and keep him at his house with her.

"Nothing. I need to go to the Guild. I've been summoned."

With that, he left. He walked down the path of Bowerstone as people cheered his name and laughed out loud clapping. The clapping was of course accompanied with the occasional 'We thought you were dead!' or 'Master, we are so glad to have you back!'

He was unconcerned with them of course. He only wanted to get back to the Guild now. He had a feeling he knew what his summon was about. Evil or not, Maleficus was considered a hero in the guild. And the guild didn't take lightly to the death of their heroes. And there was also the matter of a vow Avatar had made long ago. Tears stung his eyes as he remembered the blood staining his clothing and pouring over his hands. He wished he had never made that vow.

* * *

**So I lied and updated sooner than even I thought I would. Oh well. Anyway, sort of another transitional chapter. It's just the aftermath of Maleficus's death. And I wanted to show that Sabre and Rebecca had finally been able to show their love for each other. I also wanted some amusement with it too. Anyway, this chapter also sets things up for later chapters. I hoped you all liked it. Don't forget to review.**


	10. The Art of Conflict

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

"What happened?" Avatar sat across from the Guildmaster.

"Well, as you know, Maleficus had been striving to get Skorm's Bow for years." The Guildmaster fidgeted in his chair. "And you know what it's like to find someone else with something you've been trying to get for years. Well, this was apparently how Maleficus took it. He tried to kill Sabre."

"And Sabre fought back?"

"No. Actually, he ran." The Guildmaster said still shocked at what Sabre had done a year ago. "He didn't want to fight. It wasn't until Maleficus began destroying the trees that Sabre actually took real initiative to attack him. It seems that Sabre has an abnormal capability to communicate with nature."

"He can talk to trees?"

"Well, we believe his abilities may be more…extensive than that."

"How so?"

"Do you recall the Demon Doors? Well, it seems he can speak with them. He's actually friends with some of them. We found this most extraordinary."

"For obvious reasons." Something occurred to Avatar. "Back to the matter of Maleficus. Why hasn't anyone acted on his death yet? I've been gone for an entire year. Almost all of which, Maleficus has been dead and no one has done anything about it! Why?"

The Guildmaster sighed. "You know we've been short on the potentials. We have plenty of apprentices, but none of them could possibly go after Sabre. Briar Rose has been on leave for the past two years because of a quest. We haven't heard from her in over a year. And Thunder is still broken over the death of his sister all those years ago. We're not even sure where he is. And then there's Scythe, but he destroyed his Guild Seal for unknown reasons."

"So I'm the only hero left here."

"Yes, you are."

"What do you expect me to do?"

He Guildmaster scratched his bald head and stood up to look out the window and then back at Avatar. "Heroes die. It just happens. We all know it's possible, we've all seen it happen. Whether by a horde of Balverines or a bandit who got a lucky shot in. It happens. We can't do anything about those deaths because the ones they're killed by are nameless faces who disappear and reappear only to be killed years later by another hero in his travels. But we rarely come up on this sort of thing. Sabre killed Maleficus, in the open. There were witnesses to see him do it, it is well known what he's done. Maleficus was a hero, whate…"

"No he was not!" Avatar gripped the arms of his chair.

"Avatar! Please maintain your discipline." The Guildmaster snapped at him. "I know the rivalry between you and Maleficus was fierce. I know you two hated each other. I can't imagine you ever noticed Thunder being too fond of you! It's beside the point. He was a _hero._ Whatever path he chose! And his death must be avenged. The Guild will not stand for a hero being killed in such a manner."

Avatar breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled. "So if it had been some random bandit who no one had ever heard of, he would've gotten away with it?"

"Don't you dare!" the Guildmaster barked. "You know the Guild's policies. And even if you decide the Guild's policies are not what you follow, there's still the simple matter of a vow you took long ago. And I've yet to see you take on a vow without fulfilling it."

"I can't kill Sabre." Avatar finally came out with what he was saying.

"Why not? Maleficus was careless? We all know you to be more careful!"

"No. I don't mean I'm incapable. I mean, I can't kill Sabre. Not when what he's done is something I had planned on doing myself."

"Avatar." The Guildmaster came to his side resting his hand on the heavily clad shoulder. "Listen to me. I know what Maleficus had done. I know he's not what you would define as a hero. But that changes nothing, his death is an outrage and cannot be disregarded. You're the only one left to carry this out. I've nothing more to say."

The Guildmaster walked away leaving a distraught Avatar to think to himself. His thoughts were interrupted by his mother over his Guild Seal.

"I think I've found a way to find your sister. You need to go to Hook Coast. There's an abbey there that I believe will help us find her. Go to the Ancient Cullis Gate in Darkwood, I'll give you instruction from there."

* * *

Sabre emerged from the water recovering from the shock. Balverines were attacking traders on their way to Knothole Glade. He had heard the screams and quickly ran to the disturbance. A Balverine had hit him into the water. Sabre spat water from his mouth and took his bow back in his hand. A Balverine leapt through the air at him and he quickly sent an arrow through its chest. It splashed behind him and he stood back up. Three left and four traders. One of them was bitten and screaming something about his imminent doom. Sabre set another arrow and sent it quickly into a Balverine's side angering it. He put his bow back and quickly unsheathed the Cutlass Bluetane. The Balverine snapped at him and he ducked brining the Cutlass through the waist of the Balverine. Two left. He dove at the feet of one slicing it's hamstrings and then standing up to take off the kneeling Balverines head. The last Balverine snarled and turned tail. Sabre wasn't so merciful to let it escape that easily.

"Get him into the town." He ordered the four traders indicating the bitten trader.

Sabre sprinted down the hill of Witchwood passing by the Arena entrance and saw the Balverine going towards the Temple of Avo. The Balverine bounded in and turned to see Sabre still in pursuit. It howled and ran towards Witchwood Stones. Sabre was closing the distance quickly and readied the Cutlass for blood. He finally reached the Balverine in front of the Demon Door and tripped the beast using the end of the Cutlass. He jumped on top of it and began stabbing the Balverine's chest. Blood covered his hands and legs as he mutilated the last of the four Balverines. He panted and wiped his mouth of blood only getting more on his face.

"That was certainly gruesome." Sabre turned to see the Demon Door talking to him.

"When did you close back up?" Sabre asked standing up from the quickly decaying corpse of the Balverine.

"When treasure hungry bandits came my way. I only allow a few passage. Bandits are usually among those few."

In all his hunting and bloodlust, Sabre hadn't heard the traders running his way screaming about bandits.

"Friends of yours?" the Demon Door asked.

"I just got here. What do you think?"

Sabre twirled the Cutlass beside him and let the traders to run by. Three bandits skidded to a full halt at the sight of him. He stopped twirling the blade and smiled at them.

"I'll never rid myself of all the bandits, will I?" Sabre sighed and began to advance.

"Wait!" the middle bandit threw his hand into the air in front of him. "Are you Sabre? We weren't expecting to see you until we got to Knothole Glade. We've got a message for you."

"Do you then?" Sabre shrugged and took another step.

"Our leader wants a word with you." The bandit said hurriedly. "Twinblade. He says he's got business to discuss with you!"

Sabre stopped. He knew the name and knew that Maleficus used to be the leader of that camp.

"Why?"

"Don't rightly know. It's business he said he would discuss with no one other than you!"

Sabre didn't exactly feel threatened. There hadn't been any organized bandit raids since Maleficus had been killed. He suspected it was just Twinblade bringing him in to thank him or something along those lines. That's what most people called him in for these days. He nodded and waved them off. He was going to tell Rebecca before he left.

* * *

Avatar trudged slowly through the Guild debating what his decision should be. In order to understand his conflict, one would have to understand his view and take on vows. Avatar had promised years ago that he would kill Maleficus. By his stand point, that meant that either he killed Maleficus, or he would kill the person that killed Maleficus. Only one of those was acceptable by the guild. He wanted his revenge badly, but he felt it to be outside of righteousness. To kill someone like Sabre who had just been introduced into civilization. Now that he was well renown, Sabre had been asked by various people what the history of his life had been. Avatar found out what it was from his wife. Her rumor circle proved useful once again.

Sabre, his wife had explained to him, was about three and a half years old when his parents were burnt at the stake. He only survived terrors like the White Balverine because of his affinity to nature. The Demon Door right outside of Knothole Glade provided him with shelter. He was the first person to actually pose a threat to the White Balverine when he was around sixteen years old. He had augmented a stolen bow with a Silver Augmentation and shot the White Balverine several times scaring it away for a time. But when he robbed those cheering him, he was shunned away from Knothole Glade for a time. He hated Balverines and everything about them. His death count of them exceeded any other person's, including Avatar's. Avatar frowned when he heard someone had a higher death count then he did, then he quickly shook off the feeling. After Maleficus's and Avatar's 'brawl' in Greatwood, Sabre was found by Rebecca who took him in and they quickly grew to love each other. The only thing that Sabre wasn't able to tell people who wanted to hear his story was his exact age. He was too young to know it when his parents died, so he compared today to what he remembered and guessed he was about twenty. Maybe a bit older.

"Why do you want to know?" Liana asked Avatar.

"To make it harder." Avatar smiled.

"Harder to do what?"

Avatar winced at the thought of it. "The Guild has asked me to go after Sabre and…kill him."

"What? Why?" she frowned and clenched her fists.

"He killed a hero." Avatar explained.

"Hero my ass." Liana sounded like she was scolding Avatar. "Maleficus was no hero. He was evil. That's not what a hero is."

"By the Guild's definition, he is a hero though." Avatar argued with her.

Liana glared at Avatar.

"Is that you or the Guild talking?" Liana asked observing him. "Sometimes…I can't tell the difference."

With that, Liana turned away and walked up their bedroom. When he finally tried to say something, she was upstairs and was probably ignoring him.

So now he walked through the Guild watching apprentices occasionally advising them or bursting out at them when they did something wrong. He remembered he was supposed to be in Darkwood and set off. Now was not the time to be crying over his own troubles. He walked into the Cullis Gate and disappeared to Oakvale.

* * *

"What do I think?" Rebecca repeated scoffing. "I think it's stupid. Even before Maleficus, Twinblade sent in Avo knows how many bandit raids on Oakvale. Never as bad as the one that Avatar encountered when he was young but there were deaths and robberies."

"Yes, but Twinblade hasn't sent any bandits out in a year." Sabre said. "How do I know he's not happy that I relieved him from Maleficus's hold?"

Rebecca curled her lip in a scowl and crossed her arms. "I don't. I'd just rather not lose you because you throw caution to the wind."

"I'll be fine." Sabre assured her. "Curiosity just gets the best of me sometimes."

Sabre turned to leave but Rebecca cleared her throat obnoxiously loud. "Forget something."

Sabre looked at her and shrugged. "Not that I can think of."

She rolled her eyes and took his head in her hands and kissed him. "I love you." She said this beaming at him.

He smiled and left the house. The Cullis Gate to Oakvale awaited him. Maleficus had long ago blocked the one in Twinblade's camp. He stepped through and disappeared from Rebecca's view. She set out through the village exploring. She visited the Demon Door that Sabre had stayed in as a boy and spoke to it.

* * *

Sabre materialized to find Avatar securing his equipment and cracking his neck.

"Where are you headed?" Sabre asked stepping down.

Avatar whirled in shock and just stared stupidly at Sabre. Sabre returned the stare but with a bit more intelligence in his. Avatar tried to decide whether or not he should take this opportunity to do the guild's work.

"So did I unknowingly walk into a staring contest?" Sabre asked without any sarcasm in his voice.

"No." Avatar finally blurted. "I'm sorry, it's just…nothing. Sorry."

"Uh, no. Don't worry about it." Sabre shrugged and scratched the back of his head.

There was a long awkward silence between the two of them as Sabre didn't understand Avatar's silence and Avatar was waiting for Sabre to say something.

"Where are you going?" Avatar finally asked.

"Twinblade's camp, he's requested an audience with me?" Sabre said.

Avatar raised an eyebrow. "You know why?"

"No. He just sent some bandits to get me. I'm headed there now."

"It can be pretty dangerous there, you want someone to come with you?" Avatar asked hopefully.

He didn't want to go into Darkwood at the moment. Hook Coast could wait.

"Uh, sure. Don't see why not." Sabre nodded and turned towards Oakvale.

* * *

As they entered Twinblade's camp, bandits sat around a large bonfire and laughed drunkenly at another's vomiting or drunken antics. Sabre passed by them unharmed and almost unnoticed. Avatar on the other hand, received all sorts of sneers and insults.

"Come to finish the job have you?" a bandit slurring his speech yelled at Avatar.

"Nah, he's come to take the place of his good buddy, Malaria." His drunken friend came up and stopped him.

Avatar passed by them trying to ignore them. Being compared to Maleficus tore open old wounds he had long since tried to rid himself of. The came to the tent that held Twinblade and Sabre stepped back at first seeing a figure even bigger than Avatar. He gawked for a moment trying to understand how someone so large could have been defeated by Avatar or Maleficus. Twinblade was facing away but his head perked up at the sound of the dirt under foot. He turned to look down at Sabre and then to Avatar. His eyes narrowed.

"And what are you doing here?" Twinblade growled.

"I'm only here briefly. I'll be gone as soon as he leaves." Avatar answered.

"What is it that you wanted?" Sabre asked stepping between the two hulking forms.

He didn't realize this to be a bad idea until he looked back at Avatar and realized that in this situation, there was no between a rock and a hard place. There were just two really big walls that could crush him. He fidgeted in place but kept his gaze up at Twinblade.

"You're nervous boy." Twinblade's voice sounded much like metal scraping against metal but Sabre endured. "I didn't call you into my camp just to kill you."

Twinblade stood up and Sabre's knees shook. While he had fought and killed Maleficus who had defeated Twinblade, he couldn't help but tremble slightly at the sight of Twinblade at his full height.

"I brought you in here, because I wanted to thank you." Twinblade said. "Maleficus broke me. Even further than he did."

He indicated Avatar and continued. "Everyday I tried to think of a way to kill Maleficus but every plan I had required something that I didn't have. And then you came along. My savior."

Twinblade laughed out loud and clapped his hands together.

"I used to be a hero, you know." He went on. "I used to fight on the side of valor and kill the very men that I now lead. A strange transition."

"Not really." Sabre said. "Generally, a hero is just that. One who kills in the name of valor or something else but never really believes in what he's doing. He merely fights because he's convinced himself that he believes in something different from what he actually believes."

Twinblade was silent a moment, then. "You hold spite for heroes?"

"The Guild actually." Sabre smirked. "I don't like the Guild. They're actually out for my blood right now. It's just he doesn't have it in him to kill someone who did what was right."

Sabre pointed at Avatar as he said this who recoiled in shock. "You know about that?"

Sabre turned to him. "Of course I do. You've been gone a year. Don't you think motives of the Guild would've passed through people and trees alike?"

Avatar opened his mouth to say something but then turned around and then looked back at Sabre. "Then why did you let me come with you?"

"Why not?" Sabre shrugged. "You're not going to kill me. I already know that."

"How?"

Sabre smiled. "Do you know how I got the bordello deeds?"

"Somebody said you held Grope by his skull until he was screaming. Then you left and came back in with the deeds in your hands."

Sabre nodded and pointed a finger upwards. Avatar followed the direction in which it was pointing and saw a tree's branch hanging abnormally low.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Avatar laughed.

"What is it that you're pointing at?" Twinblade questioned not noticing the tree branch.

"He's pointing at the tree." Avatar shook his head but smiled at the same time.

"They seem to be able to tell when I'm angry or happy or any other emotion despite me revealing nothing. They never stopped watching Grope when he got to the bordello and when I tried to get him to tell me where the deeds were, I thought I heard his thoughts telling me where they were."

Avatar took off his gauntlet and reached up into the air. The branch seemed to reach lower and graze his hand with its leaves.

"So this is how you get around?" Avatar asked feeling the leaves smiling.

"Yes." Sabre responded. "I don't know why they favor me. They've never told me. Just that they'll take me where I need to go. And they have a surprising amount of strength too. A tree in Greatwood threw me all the way to Oakvale."

Avatar looked at him wide-eyed in disbelief. He looked back up to the tree which pulled back up.

Avatar's thoughts came back to the guild and he looked down at Sabre. "I think there's something we need to discuss."

* * *

**Okay, I'm going to go ahead and admit, this chapter sucks. Like, really bad. But it's a transitional type of chapter that had a cross of two ideas I had and they didn't come out right. Sorry.**


	11. Devastation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

**Author's Note: Okay, one here and at the end of the chapter. There are spoilers in the rest of the story. I've kinda morphed what actually happens though so I don't think it will actually give away too much. But things will make more sense if you've played the game. And if you're reading this wihout playing the game...What the hell? Enjoy!**

"I made that vow almost twenty years ago." Avatar said. "I never thought that anyone would ever kill him instead of me. After I held the girl, I thought that I had too kill Maleficus or whoever killed him. And then there was you."

"So I'm the obstacle in all of this?" Sabre asked.

They walked through Darkwood towards the Ancient Cullis Gate but still had a good ways to go before they were to it.

"Yes. The Guild would be furious if they knew you were here with me."

Sabre was to say the least, impressed. He normally just saw himself as an annoyance, never really an actual obstacle in the ethics of a hero. He kicked a rock out of his way and kept walking. When he turned to say something to Avatar, he noticed that they were passing near the bordello.

"Hold on." Sabre said and ran to the large doors.

A sign was stuck in the ground near the door and Sabre put his head close to it to read.

He read aloud. "Darkwood Refuge: All women welcome to the safety of the refuge formerly known as Darkwood Bordello."

"You can read?" Avatar asked surprised.

"You don't spend a year with someone who loves you as much as Rebecca does me without learning things." Sabre responded his eyes still on the sign.

"Well, you're both young. I thought your attention would be on other things." Avatar smiled at his own joke.

Sabre looked up at him for a moment and then pulled down the Bandit's vest he wore to show his shoulder blade. Four long scrapes that had mostly healed were revealed.

"What's that?" Avatar asked as he looked closer.

"Would you believe me if I told you a Balverine?" Sabre said smiling.

"Well yeah. I've seen them get scratches on people that were smaller and some that were…wait." Avatar looked closer at the scrapes. "Are you telling me that your…"

"Companion I think is the best word. And yes, she did that." Sabre lifted the shoulder of his vest back up and rolled his shoulder about trying to shift the vest back into a comfortable position.

Avatar gawked for a moment and then laughed.

"I've even told her that her hands could rival a Balverine's." Sabre shrugged and pushed the giant doors open.

Memories of the cold feeling he felt when Sophia kissed him flood Sabre's mind. He stopped mid step through the archway leading up the grassy hill. Shivers went up and down his spine as he was reminded of it. He remembered Grope and the girls rushing to his aid but each of them silently begging that after this, Grope would leave and he would tell them where the deeds were. It didn't happen. It took another visit from Sabre and even then he had help from his tall friends.

"Something wrong?" Avatar asked tapping Sabre on the shoulder.

Sabre involuntarily shuddered and then shook his head. "No, just…I'm fine."

Sabre continued up the hill and into the bordello. Madam Minczhe was standing at her corner as usual talking to a girl who had just come in recently. Sabre was looking around when Sophia approached him. He looked down just in time to see her come up and hug him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. Sabre tried to look over but only got a face full of hair. So he just waited until she let go and faced him again.

"You rushed out so quickly that we never got a chance to thank you. We've turned the bordello into a refuge for women." Sophia explained to him.

There were now several more women talking to other women. Some of the ex-prostitutes were walking around comforting girls and what not. Avatar looked at his Guild Seal briefly and then back up at Sabre.

"Sorry, but I can't stay." Avatar said and turned to leave.

"Stop!" Sabre called after him. "I'm coming with you!"

"What?" Avatar turned back to face him. "Why would you want to help me? I mean, for Avo's sake, if the Guildmaster finds out that you're traveling with me, he'll…"

"It's about time you stop worrying about what the Guild is thinking about and start thinking more about what you think."

Sabre's words always had a way of stinging Avatar. They had once done so in Greatwood and now they stung again. Not like his wife's though. Those words dug under the skin and immediately started to fester.

"Are you coming?" Sabre had made his way ahead of Avatar as he had been thinking about his wife's words.

"Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

"The Cullis Gate feeds on the souls of the dead. You'll need to sate its hunger before you can enter. Who is that with you?" Avatar's mother spoke to him through his Guild Seal. 

"It's not important." Avatar tried to dismiss her.

"Oh yes it is!"

_Persistent bitch. _Avatar wanted to say but he didn't think it was true. He just wanted something to get her to stop talking to him. She was distracting.

"Mother. He'll help."

"I knew it. It's that Sabre with you. Isn't it? Well, I'm not the Guild, son. I'm your mother. Is he any good?"

"He's the best archer I've ever seen."

"Then he stays."

Sabre, who was oblivious to the entire conversation, was watching the Cullis Gate from a distance.

"Have you decided what you're going to do about the Guild's decision?" his mother asked.

"I thought you were okay with him being here with me." Avatar was becoming frustrated with her.

"I'm more than okay with him being there. He's going to help keep you alive. But you will have to make your decision soon."

Avatar looked down at the crouching form of Sabre. A green glint and a red jewel were almost all of Sabre that Avatar could see. The only other thing was two shining eyes, bright as two stars surveying their soon-to-be battleground.

"He stays." Avatar decided to his mother.

"Here or forever?"

"Natural causes will take this boy. Not my blade."

Avatar ended the conversation there and reached out blindly. He finally felt a shoulder and the two glimmering orbs darted to face him.

"What do you see?"

"Undead. They're everywhere." Sabre responded.

"I understand undead. How many?"

"Do you really want to know the answer to that question?" Sabre's eyes went back to the Ancient Cullis Gate.

Avatar sighed and looked in the same direction.

"Okay then. I'm going to cast Berserk, so don't get in the way of my blade. I'm a bit…uncivilized when using the spell. Stick to the shadows and try to hit them from there. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you." As he finished, he turned his gaze back down to Sabre. "Sabre?"

The boy was gone. Avatar looked around himself and found nothing.

"Sneaky little bastard." He muttered and took the Solus from his back.

The thing about undead that Avatar actually liked among a thousand things that were highly unlikable, was that in the event of having nothing to kill or just no goal in general, they stood still. He charged into the midst of six undead and let a burst of red energy out from his body. He grew three times his regular size and a thunderous roar erupted from his throat. The six undead groaned as they were forced back from the energy and landed on the ground. An arrow met one of their heads as it hit the ground and it exploded in a burst of green light and unearthly howl of pain.

Avatar let a wide swing out and destroyed three of the undead. He was met with the same results of the first undead. Slowly, all of the undead in the area began making their way to him. They dragged their feet and weapons across the ground groaning their complaints of being alive. Several more fell backward from the swing of Avatar. He turned around to find two had been destroyed and arrows were lodged in the ground. So he spun his sword back and he was met again with the burst of green energy. He raised Solus up and brought it down again. Instead of a wicked howl of pain, he was met with a burst of light from the Cullis Gate. The stone structure burst out with light and then settled down to look like a normal Cullis Gate. Avatar shrunk back down to his normal size and shook his head.

"Are you okay?" Sabre asked emerging from the shadows.

"Yeah." Avatar said lowering his hand from his face. "That spell just kind of takes it out of you. You need a couple of seconds to recover completely."

Avatar nodded and started towards the Cullis Gate. He stepped into the light and suddenly felt cold.

"Hook Coast?" Avatar asked shivering slightly.

"Yes. You must get to the abbey at the top of the hill."

Avatar nodded before realizing that she couldn't see him nodding. He turned to see Avatar barely standing. His knees trembled and he fell forward. Avatar reached out and caught the boy by the chest.

"Whoa! What's wrong?" Avatar exclaimed lifting the shivering Sabre back to his feet.

"It's…f-freezing here." He responded.

"Yeah, I know. Why did you almost fall over though?" Avatar asked.

Sabre looked up at him with a look of contempt. "Try and remember for a few seconds that I'm not a hero with amazing physique. I'm a boy in comparison that grew up in very warm climates."

"Oh yeah." Avatar chuckled slightly scratching his head. "I don't think we're in any real rush so let's stop in at the tavern."

Avatar tapped on the door as he entered the tavern. A few people including the bartender looked up from their conversations and saw Avatar and a pale skinned Sabre at his side.

"My friend here isn't used to this climate. Do you think he could warm up for a bit?" Avatar asked ushering Sabre forward.

"Of course. Anything for the two greatest and most famous people in all of Albion." The bartender winked cheerily and took Sabre near the fireplace. "Have a seat m'boy."

Sabre sat down and rubbed his chest. His entire body shook but soon took on the colorful tone of a well tanned man. Avatar had left and came back shortly after.

"Any news of your sister?" Sabre asked coughing slightly.

"No. The abbey was blocked by a magical barrier. My mother told me I should return to the Guild and we might be able to figure out how to get through it. I'll be back in a bit."

"You're going to the Guild?" Sabre asked standing up.

"Yes." Avatar forced him to sit down again by his shoulder. "But there's still the small matter of you being wanted by the Guild. So until that little matter is cleared up, you're prohibited from coming with me to it."

Avatar's hand shot back when he saw it. A light green light shining from Sabre's shoulder where Avatar's hand had been. It quickly faded but Avatar remembered the same light when his mother and sister released the power of their bloodline. He quickly dismissed it and teleported away.

* * *

Jack of Blades sat in his study meditating. He felt the energy of Avatar's bloodline. He knew the sister was under his control. The mother was also to be soon. Avatar was the only problem. Only now, there was another problem. The energy from Avatar was felt elsewhere. Not as pure, but it was there. He couldn't tell where but he would know when the person was closer. 

_I want that sword. _The ancient being thought to himself.

Jack's hand sat at his chin as he waited for Avatar to hopefully fall into his trap. It would've been simpler if Maleficus were still alive but by Jack's opinion, the little bastard was to blame for most of his plans going awry.

_Of course._

* * *

Sabre's arm was pulled by a guard but he refused to go anywhere. 

"C'mon lad. There are screamers about. We've been told to get everyone out of here." The guard insisted to Sabre.

"I don't care what you've been told. If something's happening, I'll be a part of it." Sabre took his arm away and sat back down.

Screamers had begun coming into Hook Coast scaring and killing the occasional person. A message had been sent from the Guild to evacuate the entire town. Sabre just proved defiant.

"Fine. Suit yourself. Avatar is on his way. He'll deal with you."

The guard rushed out of the room and onto the streets. Sabre was now met with silence save for the crackling of the flames in front of him. He both loathed and loved the fire in front of him. After seeing what Maleficus had done, Sabre hated the capabilities of fire. Sabre was convinced that the trees had not only their own energy, but their own souls. Pain and suffering did not just come to those of flesh and blood. No, it was a close companion of Sabre's wooded friends. He couldn't help love the warmth that tingled through his skin though. A screamer pushed open the door and twirled in the air letting out a hideous howl. The ghoul-like creature turned its attention to Sabre and screamed at him. He covered his ears and fell to his knees trying to block out the horrendous noise. When it let up, Sabre reached into the fire and took a burning log. He heaved it at the Screamer sending it out the door in pain. Sabre looked back at the fire and glared at it.

"You're giving me too many reasons to like you."

He heard the cleaving of Screamers and rushed out the door. Avatar was amidst four of them but quickly dispatched them. Sabre instantly fell victim again to the cold and shivered.

"Get to the abbey!" Avatar yelled. "Jack's taken my mother!"

Sabre fell into step right behind Avatar but his pace was rapidly declining. Avatar stopped at the magical barrier and held his Guild Seal up to it. A few moments passed and they could see the barrier fluctuating. It finally disappeared and Avatar walked in. He didn't notice as Sabre fell to his knees freezing. Sabre leaned against the wall and began breathing on his hands trying to warm them. Inside, he could hear the voice of someone he didn't know trying to convince Avatar that his sister was under Jack's control. As a dark figure passed by him, Sabre tried to say Avatar's name but only let out a shivered whisper. No one took notice and more time went by without any event. Finally, Avatar burst out of the archway, a furious look upon his face. From afar, an older man in purple robes appeared and slammed his staff into the ground sending a spell into Avatar. Sabre felt the warmth of the spell and drank it in. Enough warmth to last him some time. But he was too late to help as the man disappeared and Avatar ran off in random pursuit. Sabre lifted himself back up and ran after them. He panted heavily trying to warm himself. Nearing the entrance to the town, Sabre could hear the feud between the two inside of the lighthouse.

Maze, the man in the purple robes, appeared not ten feet from Sabre. Maze turned to him and took little interest.

"I see Avatar is training whelps nowadays." Maze said as he conjured a fireball to throw at Sabre.

Anger built up in Sabre coursing through his veins and poisoning his thoughts. The flames of the forest burning invaded what civilized thoughts he still held and he forgot his pain from the climate. He could feel the betrayal and evil inside of Maze and he knew it to be the same evil that held Maleficus.

_Bastard!_

Sabre's outstretched hand knocked the fireball aside sending it into the nearest building. Maze stumbled back at this and threw another. Again it was struck aside and now Sabre was upon him. The ground lit up in flames around Maze but Sabre's eyes were devoid of emotion or thought. The fire seemed like it had revitalized him

"I'll breathe your fire!" Sabre yelled taking Maze's head in his hands.

Maze felt a sharp pain as his head was struck against a rock. He was then flung through a window. Sabre jumped through the window with an insane look on his face. He took Maze by the shoulders and pushed his face into the fireplace.

"Feel what you've wrought!" Sabre's voice echoed.

Maze cried out, the flames lapping up against his face burning his face and singing his hair. He finally broke free and fell on his back coughing. He was able to open his eyes to see a chair coming down. Splinters scattered everywhere from the chair broken over Maze's face. Sabre repeated the action again and again until he only had a small wooden handle.

Avatar came down from the lighthouse looking for Maze to find nothing. He looked at the melted snow and the broken window and could only guess. He then heard grunting and cursed. He ran to the door but heard a muffled grunt and a shatter. Maze landed behind him groaning and bleeding. Sabre landed on Maze's back and a loud crack reached Avatar's ears. Sabre began to reach for his blade but Avatar came at him. He took Sabre in his arms and constricted him.

"No! Sabre! Stop!"

He didn't have too much trouble as Sabre was still about half Avatar's age and had no training. Avatar finally felt Sabre stop and let him go. He collapsed on the ground panting and looked up at Avatar.

"Is he dead?" Sabre asked shakily.

"I don't think so." Avatar answered angrily pulling his blade out. "But he will be soon."

Avatar approached the mangled figure of Maze and heard him coughing.

"You've betrayed the Guild." Avatar said raising his blade. "I could forgive that. But you've also betrayed me. You've betrayed all of Albion."

"Jack would've killed me had I not helped." Maze said in a raspy voice. "So do your worst. Better I die at the hands of a hero than at the hands of someone unworthy and dishonorable."

Avatar pointed his sword downward but paused. Whether it was a wave of conscience or just a revelation, he didn't drive the blade down. Neither. He turned to Sabre who was still recovering from his rage and looked back at Maze. When Sabre looked back up at him, Avatar beckoned him over. He knelt down and took Maze's head in his hands gently.

"Listen to me well, Maze." Avatar whispered. "I don't want you to suffer. You know that's not who I am. I just want to know that you'll never threaten Albion again. I just want to know that I can walk the earth and never have to worry as to whether or not you will be walking freely betraying someone. I want Albion to be safe, I don't care about me anymore."

"You expect me to make the promise?" Maze made a feeble attempt at chuckling but only groaned.

"No." Avatar waited for him to finish. "I expect him to."

Avatar looked up at Sabre. Maze's eyes instantly burned with hatred.

"You can't leave me to him!" Maze protested. "Give me a hero's death! KILL ME! DON'T LEAVE ME TO HIM!"

"There is one peace that you'll have in the afterlife." Avatar said. "You can know this. He doesn't like me either."

* * *

Avatar and Sabre appeared in Witchwood. Briar Rose stood in front of them waiting. 

"There you are. I've been…" she looked at Sabre and frowned. "Are you Sabre?"

Sabre prepared for combat but Briar Rose smiled and her eyes glinted through her glasses. "Kinda cute, you are. Good work on that Maleficus, mate. C'mon, all hell's broken loose."

They ran up the hill to be greeted by Minions and undead.

"Have you ever fought with a minion before?" Avatar asked.

"A summoned one. Does that count?" Sabre asked hopefully.

"Hardly." Avatar let forth his rage and grew to twice his normal size.

He charged in knocking minions off to every side. Sabre drew his bow and began loosing arrows. Guards and apprentices appeared and joined the fight. The sky darkened and the ground itself seemed to turn to its own color of crimson. Sabre took down two minions and could see further up the hill, Jack was laughing and a large glowing globe was in front of him. Avatar swung his sword about slicing minions and destroying undead all alike. Sabre yelled and pointed taking Avatar's attention to Jack. They both charged up the hill accompanied by Briar Rose and stopped short.

"Oh I'm so sorry." Jack spoke with a sarcastic tone.

Sabre hated him immediately. His voice let off a horrible echo that Sabre couldn't stand. He wanted to kill him.

"You'll have to be quicker than that." Jack disappeared and Briar cursed.

"Go after him. You're the only one that can stop him! I'll stay here and teach these beasts who Briar Rose is." Briar ran back down the hill and Avatar turned to Sabre.

"You ready?" Avatar asked and started.

"No." Sabre said coming to a horrible realization.

"What?" Avatar said with the utmost brevity.

"Rebecca." Sabre whispered. "I have find Rebecca. Oh Avo, these things are everywhere. I love her. I have to get to her."

Avatar gritted his teeth but nodded. "Go! Meet me at the Hero's Guild. Maze said that's where this would all end!"

Avatar jumped through the portal and left Sabre in Witchwood. Sabre ran down the same way Briar went and past the Temple of Avo. Every sort of demon and monster seemed to be unleashed on Albion. Sabre ran past most of them and into Knothole Glade.

"REBECCA!" he yelled coming to the gates.

The gates were torn down and flaming. Inside, people were running from Balverines and Minions acting out their masters' will. Sabre shot down a Minion which immediately exploded and he ran up towards his new home. Though not devastated, he could see Balverines emerging from inside but no blood stained them.

"REBECCA!" Sabre yelled again.

"Sabre?" Rebecca's voice came from behind him.

He turned to see her standing in shock. Sabre raised his bow and an arrow penetrated the skull of a Balverine. It fell back dead and Sabre took Rebecca by the hand.

"No!" she yelled at him and turned him to outside of town. "The Demon Door!"

It hadn't occurred to Sabre that someone else might have been able to get inside these doors. Minions were running into town and Sabre let go of Rebecca's hand.

"Go, I'll be there in a moment." He turned to release an arrow soaring through a Minion obliterating it.

A minion swung above his head as he ducked and rolled out of the way unsheathing the Cutlass Bluetane. Sabre hacked at its hamstrings and intended to strike down on it but was smacked in the chest by another Minion. He fell back and kicked into the air landing back up on his feet. Sabre jumped up and then again from a Minion's shoulders driving his blade down onto the recovering Minion from before. It exploded and Sabre brought his blade up through another. The last one stood a distance from Sabre and its hand was glowing. A ball of energy surged towards Sabre hitting him in the chest. He soared back into the wooden fence of the archery range but quickly recovered. He stood now again with a ball of energy threatening him. Without even thinking, Sabre threw the Cutlass. It found its mark in the Minion's chest. The Minion fell back exploding on the ground and leaving a shimmering green blade on the ground.

Sabre heard Rebecca calling for him and took his blade before running back to the Demon Door. Rebecca was inside and she showed him that the chief as well as many others were taking shelter inside.

"Don't leave here. If anymore people come, make sure they're human and then let them in. Don't let them in if they've been bitten by anything." Sabre rambled on before Rebecca interrupted him.

"Aren't you staying?" she asked.

"No." Sabre responded quickly and began to leave.

"Where are you going if not here?" she asked pulling on his arm.

"Avatar needs me. I'm sorry."

He paused before speaking again. It wasn't often that he said this but her eyes were glowing with an ethereal light that he found irresistible.

"I love you." He muttered and ran to the Cullis Gate.

* * *

Avatar entered the map room and saw the devastation that had reached the Guild. Sabre ran into him turning a corner and fell to the ground. 

"Sabre!" Avatar exclaimed and helped him to his feet.

"What the hell happened here?" Sabre looked around at the flames and rubble falling from the ceiling.

"Jack." Avatar summarized the entire dilemma in one word. "I think I see the Guildmaster!"

He entered the library and knelt down beside the old man. "Jack's powers have reached unfathomable powers. I've never seen someone so powerful. Go, you must stop him. You're the only one that can. Wait!"

The Guildmaster grabbed Avatar by the arm. "Maybe you're no…Ugh!" The Guildmaster groaned and held his bleeding side.

Avatar prayed to Avo for hope and led Sabre into the Chamber of Fate. Jack stood in the center with Theresa at his side in magical confinement and his mother in his arms.

"So, you've finally made it. A bit too late though." Jack laughed and sliced Scarlet Robe's throat.

She fell to the ground, her blood flowing onto the ground. Avatar didn't take notice to the Sword of Aeons forming for Jack. His memories went back to Maleficus killing the girl just for one purpose. He wanted to mark his path. They were no different from each other. Jack wanted power and killed a woman to show it. As did Maleficus years ago. The thoughts of it drove Avatar to one bloody conclusion.

"Well, looks like we may have a larger family reunion than I thought!" Jack laughed.

His eyes fell on Sabre standing with his bow behind Avatar.

"Enough of your games!" Avatar barked. "I'LL KILL YOU AND EVERYONE OF YOUR KIND!"

Jack laughed maniacally.

"Then I'll have you and your relatives then! That's right Sabre, you hold their blood in your veins! You'll die with the rest of them!" Jack yelled before throwing a force field between him and Avatar.

* * *

**WOO! Long chapter. Yeah! Anyway. So now we know that Sabre is also a descendant of the same bloodline that Avatar is. Hence the green glowing when Avatar touched him. Anyway, next chapter is the supposedly epic battle between Jack of Blades and the main character but since it's a fanfic, it's getting morphed. Booyah! Jack was never hard to beat anyway. Please review. I know you want to. And I still say SpazzChicken is a loyal reviewer and reader. Yes, she be wonderful. I'm still happy to have you all reading also. So feel honored. Go ahead.**


	12. The Sword of Aeons

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

Sabre was thrown back by the force of Avatar casting Berserk. He hit the ground and immediately stood up to see himself surrounded by Minions. He quickly took out the Cutlass but was cut down by a Wardog Minion. Pain surged through his shoulder and he dove between the legs of a Dreadwing. The Minion collapsed as Sabre forced the Cutlass into its leg and kicked its other leg.

Avatar pounded on the force field between Jack and himself but was only assailed by Minions. He turned to knock back three of them and took another by the throat and smashed it against the force field. Three times the Minion was crushed against the barrier and then it exploded. Avatar roared with rage and turned to strike at the three Minions he had knocked down. Several more appeared from nothing to descend down upon the raging hero.

Sabre took the head off of a Minion and turned around to parry another attack. He stumbled back and ducked as a blade hit the wall where his neck had been. He kicked off the wall tackling the Wardog and turned over with it on top of him. It exploded in his arms as one of its companions tried to hit Sabre. Sabre rolled backwards back onto his feet and his blade was met by the staff of a Dreadwing.

Jack laughed behind his magical force field. "You really are too persistent. Even if you do defeat my Minions which I expect you, Avatar to achieve, I now wield the Sword of Aeons. Sabre on the other hand, has already been wounded. How delightful."

Avatar turned to see Sabre on the ground parrying attacks and trying to stand up. He reared back and let out a viscous roar and charged forward. Sabre didn't know what happened. Only that the Minions had exploded and he had to get up. He stood to see Avatar standing there heavily breathing with the Solus in his right hand. Sabre leapt up and off of Avatar's shoulders to come down on a minion shoving his sword through its head. He stumbled back from the explosion but only ran into Avatar. Avatar picked up Sabre with one hand and set him to one side. Four Wardog Minions and two Dreadwings ran at Avatar screeching. He swung his blade low knocking the first three off of their feet and then his blade came down on top of them. The remaining three surrounded him and the Dreadwings threw globes of energy towards the center. A concussive force shot from all sides of Avatar sending the Minions reeling. Sabre met one with the Cutlass leaving only chunks of Minion to hit the ground. Avatar sent the other two against the wall eradicating them from existence.

Jack looked at them perturbed but only sighed. "Very well. I'll kill you both accordingly. You first."

Jack pointed the Sword of Aeons at Avatar and the force field dropped. Sabre let loose an arrow but Jack smacked it aside and smiled behind his mask.

"Even Skorm can't touch me now, boy. I'd advise not to do that again." Jack sneered.

Avatar ran at Jack and their blades met. Avatar parried an attack and his riposte was knocked aside by Jack's hand. Jack reached up and punched Avatar's throat knocking him back for a moment but bringing Solus up again. Jack parried and when the Solus came up for a second time, he put force into his parry knocking it to the ground. Avatar hunched down and charged at Jack sending him to the ground. Avatar turned to take the hilt of his blade and swung in an arch only to hit the ground. Jack was above him with the Sword of Aeons raised into the air. A black arrow pierced Jack's side knocking him off balance. He looked over to see Sabre with Skorm's Bow in his left hand and notching another arrow. Jack swung the Sword of Aeons sending a wave of energy at Sabre. Without much choice, Sabre only raised his arms in front of him for defense and was smacked against the wall. He slid to the ground slightly dazed and slipped trying to raise himself back to his feet.

Avatar stood back up and swung with full force at Jack's back but only hit air. Jack had ducked and cut Avatar's legs out from under him. Avatar could feel the cold metal just barely touch his legs as the Sword of Aeons cut through his armor but didn't cut him. Jack stood above him again and kicked his head. Avatar rolled down the steps onto the tile ground and tried to make sense of his double vision. He looked up at Jack who was walking towards Sabre and tried to get up to strike at him but he couldn't see the steps clearly.

Jack reached down and took Sabre by his hair and lifted him to his feet. The tie snapped and as Jack let go, Sabre's hair fell down to his shoulders. Jack put the Sword to Sabre's stomach and pulled his hair so that they were looking at each other. Sabre saw his adversary and his leg came up to meet Jack's crotch. Jack coughed slightly and stumbled back. He breathed briefly and looked back at Sabre. Sabre had fallen back again. He looked for the Cutlass and took it back into his hand. Jack easily parried the onslaught of attacks by Sabre and just waited. The boy had next to no skill with a blade and it was more easily noticed then he would have liked. Jack caught the Cutlass in his hand and threw it to the side leaving Sabre weaponless. He punched at Jack but his fist was caught and he was flung up against the ceiling. It wasn't until now that Sabre realized how high the ceiling was. He fell the distance and smacked the ground beside the hindered Theresa.

"Now." Jack said tearing the arrow from his side. "I believe you and I still have some business left, Avatar."

Avatar focused on the Jack he knew was there and lunged at him. Jack knocked the sword to the side and took Avatar by his throat. Jack stood behind Avatar holding his throat and slowly tightening his grip.

"Your mother was so old and with so little blood. Enough to get me the most powerful weapon in all of Albion though." Jack forced the point of the blade into Avatar's back through his side.

Avatar let out a hoarse scream but it morphed into a cough as Jack squeezed his throat tighter. Jack ripped the blade out violently and let go of Avatar. The blade dripped with blood onto the ground and glowed.

"Your bloodline is so precious to me." Jack said. "I'll just have to make sure I get it all in one go."

He felt another arrow pierce his back and growled. He turned to see a bloody Sabre reaching for another arrow. Jack knocked the bow out of Sabre's hands and took his head in his hand.

"Look at her, boy." Jack said directing Sabre's gaze at Theresa. "I took her eyes. I'll do the same to you. Then we'll see how good of an archer you are."

Sabre tackled at Jack and the two rolled down the stairs locked in a grapple. Jack still held Sabre's face and forced his head into the ground. Sabre reached out for something and his hand reached the hilt of the Sword of Aeons.

Sabre could feel the power of it but couldn't wrestle it from Jack's grip. His head started to throb from the pressure and he reached for anything else. His hand met the arrow in Jack's back and he tore it out. He thrust it into Jack's face sending him backward holding his wounded eye. Jack plucked the arrow from his eyes and looked to Sabre who watched the eye heal in an instant.

"That was most unwise of you." Jack growled.

He reached for Sabre but felt a blade in his left side sending him smacking against the stairs. Avatar stood in Berserk form holding the Solus Greatsword. He roared and charged again at Jack who was only just recovering. Sabre rushed to Theresa's aid and tried to think of a way to release her. He touched the magic surrounding her and quickly drew back as it shocked him.

"What are you doing?" Theresa asked.

"I'm trying to get you out of here. But this is magic that I don't understand." Sabre answered shocking himself again.

"You don't understand any magic." Theresa said in a not mocking tone. "Go help my brother."

The magic forced her back down on the ground and she whimpered slightly. Sabre complied by taking his bow back in hand and taking aim.

Avatar's sword was knocked to the side but he brought it up again parrying Jack's attack. Their swords clashed together again echoing throughout the chamber. Sabre took an arrow from his quiver and aimed carefully. He let the arrow loose and it struck Jack's hand. The Sword of Aeons clattered to the ground and Jack roared in anger. He sent a shockwave into Avatar who hit a rock that began jutting out of the ground.

"You've tried my last nerve, boy!" Jack yelled at Sabre.

Jack jumped into the air as Avatar struck at him but missed and he landed in front of Sabre. Sabre jumped over Theresa and rolled down the stairs aiming again upward. His arrow met Jack's hand but this time it was catching the arrow. The arrow snapped in two and then fell to the ground. Jack grew several times larger and floated up into the air. Sabre took refuge behind one of the rocks and was soon greeted by Avatar.

"What's he doing?" Sabre asked panicked.

Avatar peered from around the rock and came back.

"Not sure. Are you all right?"

Sabre pulled his hair away from the dried blood on his face and winced as he moved his leg.

"I don't know. How do I look?"

Avatar looked him over. "Like Skorm's play thing. Hold still."

Avatar put his hands on Sabre's chest and slowly his wounds closed up leaving only dried blood. Sabre flipped his hair back and looked up at Avatar.

"Any ideas?"

Bolts of energy shook the room and landed around the two of them. They could hear Jack laughing as more bolts struck around them. Rubble fell from the top of the rock and fell down on top of their heads.

"How much do you weigh?" Avatar asked finally.

"You think I've checked that over the years?" Sabre glared at him. "Why? Are you going to throw me?"

"Yeah. But he'll dodge you easy. After he dodges, do you think you can shoot him…"

More rubble fell on top of their heads.

"Do you think you can shoot him in the back distracting him?"

Sabre peered around the edge and nodded. "Yeah. Just make sure you can get me up there."

Avatar stepped out and immediately Berserked. Sabre pushed off the wall into his hands and was soaring through the air before he could make sense of things. An arrow already in his hand was immediately notched and he soared over Jack's shoulder. The arrow struck Jack's head and he turned to send bolts at Sabre. Avatar threw the Solus and it struck Jack from behind. Unlike their plan had intended, Jack only turned back to Avatar and electrocuted him. Sabre hit the ground and rolled behind a rock again. He heard the Solus clatter to the ground and assumed the worst. He looked to see Jack shrinking back down and hitting Avatar to the side. He saw no other opportunity and ran at Jack. Jack took the boy in one fluid movement and slammed his back into one of the rocks. Sabre coughed and tried to inhale again but found himself incapable. He gasped for air and Jack slammed him again into the rock.

"Let me recount you on something, Sabre." Jack spoke in his sleazy tone. "You're an animal. And I…I am a God. Avo and Skorm are nothing to me. And there is no world, neither Albion or the heavens where an animal can kill a God."

He released Sabre and put the Sword of Aeons to his throat. Sabre only felt the warm flow of blood from his neck. He collapsed to the ground holding his throat and reached out for anything. Now more than ever he wanted to hold Rebecca. But he had failed and would never hold her again.

Avatar stumbled back holding the Solus ready. He looked at Sabre who had stopped moving and was lying in a pool of his own blood. Avatar wasn't sure how to feel about that. Sabre's death was what the Guild had instructed Avatar to do. Though in Avatar's mind and most of Albion's, Sabre had done nothing wrong. Not with Maleficus anyway. Sabre had a past in which he robbed people but killed bandits. So he had decided. Fury rose up inside of Avatar and he refused to let the death of Sabre go unnoticed and without revenge. Solus came up unexpectedly and sliced Jack's stomach. Jack's hand went to his wound and Avatar went for the arm. Jack cried out as his arm was slashed open. He fell to the side and supported himself against the wall. Avatar came down at him with Solus and Jack parried the attacks crying out curses at Avatar.

Avatar could feel the burning of hatred welling up inside of him and dug his sword into Jack's chest. Jack yelled in pain and knocked Avatar away. He took the Solus out grunting with pain and staggered towards the center of the chamber. Avatar stood to chase after him but was knocked back by a shock wave from Jack.

"I will see Albion burn." Jack yelled. "And you'll be in the middle of it all. Watching those you love die."

Avatar couldn't help but feel all of this to be true. His eyes fell again on the lifeless and blood-ridden body of Sabre. Avatar's own wounds began to ache and he stood again to go up the stairs. Healing energy permeated from him and his wounds closed. He ran to Jack with no weapons but managed to take hold of him. Avatar pushed Jack to the ground and Avatar's hands closed around his neck. Jack sputtered and squirmed but only managed to speak.

"No matter what you do. You'll never be rid of me. I am forever." Jack's hands fell on Avatar's arms and they burned his skin.

Avatar endured the pain but gritted his teeth. Jack reached up and punched Avatar's throat again. He fell back coughing and looked up to see Jack bleeding and ready to swing. An arrow struck Jack's back again and he cursed aloud.

"Why don't you just die!" Jack yelled turning to Sabre.

Sabre's neck was covered in blood but he was standing up with his bow aimed at Jack. A second arrow shot out and struck Jack's neck. He gurgled and tore the arrow out. Another hit his chest inside his wound and he cried out. Sabre sent three more arrows, each reaching their mark. Jack fell back onto the ground bleeding. Sabre approached him and said nothing. He only looked down with a hate that Jack couldn't fathom.

"I don't die so easy boy!" Jack said and started to rise.

Sabre's foot met his throat and pushed his head back down. He aimed an arrow down and shot him in the forehead. The mask cracked and blood flowed from the wound. Sabre stumbled back watching Jack's body rise into the air and the Sword of Aeons drop and stick into the ground. Jack exploded in a flash of light and his mask fell to the ground. Sabre reached up to his neck and felt the wound barely open but still letting blood out. He fell backwards and his bow dropped to the ground. He slid down the stairs to the ground.

Avatar clambered to his feet and saw his sister standing in front of a vortex. The Sword of Aeons was stuck in the ground beside her. Avatar looked down to see Sabre bleeding and probably dying. He realized now that he had unintentionally healed Sabre as he had stood up. He hadn't thought to do this. He didn't think either of them would come out of this alive. Avatar looked to his sister who stood at the side of the vortex.

"Here is the choice which I spoke of so long ago, little brother. Strike me down with the Sword of Aeons and gain the power Jack dreamed of, or cast it into the vortex." Theresa spoke to Avatar.

She looked as though she were looking at the vortex but Avatar knew her to be blind. He took the sword in his hand and looked at its hilt. The blade seemed to tempt him. Like it was telling him to kill Theresa and take the blade as his own. But there was another voice, the voice of Sabre. Avatar turned to see him crawling up the stairs.

"Cast it away." Sabre said. "I told you long ago…you're no hero if you only search for power and fame. Look at you now, looking so hungrily at that blade. There's no power there. Only evil."

Sabre winced and supported himself on the top step. Avatar looked at the blade again. He did want the blade. He wanted to use it. Feel what it was like. He could strike his sister down and keep it forever. Be the most powerful being in Albion. He could also cast it into the vortex and be rid of the evil forever. Never have to face such a thing again.

"It'll have to wait." Avatar said.

He flicked his wrist and the sword fell into the vortex. It flashed brightly and the vortex was gone.

"I've a world to discover. I hope you can live well with your decision. Goodbye, little brother." Theresa turned and left the Chamber of Fate.

Avatar rushed to Sabre's side and looked at the wounds. He tried to heal them but his will energy had been drained.

"Hey. Stay awake!" Avatar urged Sabre. "Do you think you can make it back outside?"

Sabre lifted a hand up to his neck trying to close the wound and nodded. Avatar collected their weapons briefly and situated them on Sabre's back. He sheathed Solus on his own back and began leading Sabre.

"You'll be credited with the death of Jack of Blades. How does that sound?" Avatar spoke as he helped Sabre limp along.

"I think it's bullshit." Sabre said. "I think I don't want that kind of fame. And don't you dare tell everyone that it was me. You can put up with that. I just want to get back to Rebecca."

"You really do love her, don't you?"

Sabre avoided answering. "What about the Minions and undead that are still throughout Albion."

"They were under Jack's control." Avatar answered.

Sabre stumbled and Avatar caught him.

"They'll just wander until they're killed."

Apprentices and guards were working on putting out fires when they emerged. Avatar leaned Sabre against a bookshelf and ran to a guard.

"Where's the Guildmaster?" he asked.

"He's in the tavern, sir. He's regulating things from there." The guard answered and tried smothering another fire.

Avatar turned to get Sabre again. He saw only the bookshelf and a small amount of blood where Sabre had been resting his head.

"Sabre?" Avatar called slightly.

He heard no answer. Only the burning of flames and the yell of guards and apprentices.

* * *

**There's the fight between Jack and the hero. With certain differences of course. The actual fight in the game is kinda lame. I tried to think of a way to do this scene without making it boring. Tell me how I did. I hope you all enjoyed the story so far, I think I might take a break for a little while. Of course, knowing me, I'll be back again tomorrow writing about how this story goes into the extended story of Fable: The Lost Chapters. So who knows.**


	13. The Fire Heart

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters**

"Are you okay?"

Sabre lay back with Rebecca lying on top of him. Sweat rolled down his back into the scratches on his back and burned slightly. Ten months later and Sabre still imagined what would have happened if he or Avatar had taken the Sword of Aeons into their own hands and claimed the power. He could feel his hair being stroked by Rebecca and he could feel her naked skin against his. He couldn't see her though. He only remembered seeing Avatar holding the Sword of Aeons and looking down at it longingly. He had only told Rebecca about it, he had told her that he took a moment to tell Avatar to rid himself of it. And in that moment, he too had looked at it with the hunger of greed. The hunger for power. Then he came to his senses and told Avatar to cast it into the vortex. After that, Sabre never wanted to be recognized again. He knew what he felt when he looked at the sword was what Jack of Blades and Maleficus the Destroyer had felt when they first felt power. They felt hunger for more and strived to gain it.

"I'm fine." Sabre answered looking up at her. "Just a Balverine's scratch."

He rolled over and laid her on the bed smiling. She glared at him for the comment but her hands felt over the scratches on his back and she giggled.

"Sorry." She muttered.

Sabre ignored it and kissed her lovingly. He held her close knowing that she was the only one capable of protecting him.

* * *

"He was a distraction to Jack." Avatar told the Guildmaster.

They had had this argument several times now. The Guildmaster was adamant in his judgment about Sabre. He might have changed his mind had he known about the part Sabre played in the defeat of Jack of Blades.

"And he is therefore still held guilty by the Guild of murder of a hero. He must be executed for his crime!" a vein appeared in the Guildmaster's temple.

"You're the only one who feels that way." Avatar persisted. "I've spoke with Briar Rose, she is perfectly all right with him being here still alive."

"No, Avatar. It's you and Briar that find him innocent. Thunder feels the same way."

"Thunder is headstrong and arrogant."

"I don't care! Even if I didn't have the majority of the Guild on my side, I am the Guildmaster and the leader of this Guild. You will follow my orders as long as you are a part of this Guild!"

Avatar cracked his jaw and growled his response. "I won't kill him."

The Guildmaster glared back and said "Then Thunder will. Or Briar Rose will. I don't care who kills him. He must be killed though."

Avatar shoved past the short old man and towards the Cullis Gate.

"Avatar! There are those who agree with me."

Avatar turned as he stepped into the light of the gate. "Yes, the wicked and malevolent."

He disappeared to his destination of Knothole Glade. When he appeared, the chief greeted him heartily and shook his hand.

"Well hello to you Avatar. What can I do you for?" the chief said jolting Avatar's entire arm.

"I was just coming by. I need to know where Sabre lives."

The chief gave a quizzical look but shrugged. "He lives in that house right over there."

Avatar followed the outstretched finger to a smaller house with two stories and the windows shut. "Thanks."

"I should warn you though." The chief took hold of Avatar's arm. "Things have been a bit…unsettling in there recently?"

"They've been arguing? What about?" Avatar said with concern.

The chief chuckled and shook his head. "Not arguing. I'll just leave it at they've been quite loud."

It took a moment to sink in but Avatar then remembered what Sabre's nature was and his age. Savageness and youth. The combination would leave Sabre very easily aroused especially by someone like Rebecca. Avatar smiled and nodded the chief off. He approached the house and was about to push it open when it swung open and Sabre stood there with only a pair of pants on.

"Yes?" Sabre asked.

Avatar saw beads of perspiration from Sabre's forehead and laughed. "Busy as of late?"

Sabre wiped his forehead and smirked. "I, uh…uh, yeah. Um."

Sabre came up with nothing to say and just moved aside allowing Avatar in. He sat down and looked up at Sabre.

"The Guild is stressing more and more that I should take retribution for you killing Maleficus. The Guildmaster insists…"

"They Guildmaster?" Sabre scoffed. "You all follow a contemptuous old bastard without any real idea on how to lead people. He teaches you according to tradition and he tries to think for you."

"He's not contemptuous. And he's not a bastard. He's just…"

"An idiot?" Sabre offered.

Avatar frowned at him. He couldn't help feeling the same way but he was still part of the Guild.

"You're far too quick to offer your opinion on those you've never even met." Avatar scorned him.

"I was right about you and Maleficus, wasn't I?"

"Yes. But we were transparent."

"Well, so is the Guildmaster."

There was just no reasoning with him.

"Briar Rose and I are the only ones who refuse to do anything against you. There are other heroes though, like Thunder, who are quite willing to kill you. All they need is an order."

"So if I'm so wanted. Why is it that nobody has come to Knothole Glade to kill me yet?"

Avatar sighed and stood back up. "Nobody knows you're here."

"What? You're joking. It's not like I've tried to hide it." Sabre pulled up on his pants as they were falling down.

Rebecca came down the stairs with sheets up around her and surveyed the scene. "Hello, Avatar."

Avatar had only met Rebecca once. After Sabre had recovered from the fight with Jack of Blades, Avatar stopped by and made himself known to her. She came beside Sabre and held the sheets out to envelop him inside with her.

"Guild news I presume?" she asked annoyed.

"I'm sorry to bring it up so often but I've grown rather fond of Sabre and I'd rather not see him dead because he did something that was right. The people of Knothole Glade all seem to be grateful for you, so they're not going to report where you are. And I'm not about to say anything."

"We're very grateful for that." Rebecca chimed in. "Any help we can get is appreciated."

"Have you somewhere to go?" Sabre asked. "Or do you think you've got some time?"

"Why do you ask?" Avatar was at the door.

"Just interested in how I'd do against you in a scrap." Sabre smiled.

Avatar looked at what was still exposed without the sheet and sized Sabre up. The boy couldn't be taller than five feet and ten inches. He was well built with no visible fat. He rarely blinked suggesting that he was very observant and precise. Avatar had seen him in combat before and knew him to be agile and extremely difficult to hit if he wasn't trying to hit you.

"Maybe some other time. I'm visiting my mother's grave. Maybe she can give me some counsel on what I should do with this entire Guild ordeal. I can imagine you two will have your fun without me." He winked at them and walked out the door.

_

* * *

Mother. Avatar fell to his knees in front of his mother's grave. __I need your guidance. Please, help me._Avatar fell to his knees in front of his mother's grave. 

"Avatar. We need you at the Guild in front of the Boasting Platform. There's something you should see."

Avatar sighed and nodded to himself. For a fleeting moment, he had believed it was his mother speaking. Unfortunately, it was the Guildmaster.

When Avatar arrived, there was a somewhat disturbing image above the Platform. Of course, anyone would think the sight of Scythe disturbing. He was communicating with them through a visual projection. Scythe was a hero whose body had long since died. He was only a shell of his former self. His back skin was only a shallow cover for the bones which they stuck to. One was incapable of seeing his eyes and he had no lips. Anyone only glancing would think he was a charred skeleton.

"These new creatures are called Summoners. I don't know how they got here or who has brought them. You must come to the Northern Wastes immediately."

Scythe disappeared and in his place stepped a massive and terrifying figure. Then the projection was gone and Briar Rose cursed. She and the Guildmaster stood looking at the platform in awe as Avatar stepped away from the door and beside them.

"That didn't look good." The Guildmaster rubbed his hands together nervously. "Scythe contacting us. The Demon Door here in Lookout Point waking up. I think you may need to speak with it, Avatar."

"Yeah, it just told us we were all unworthy. If you, the one who defeated Jack of Blades, can't get through, I don't know who can." Briar Rose laughed. "Well, I'm going to stick to what I do best and hit the books. I'll try and find out what these Summoners are."

She turned away and entered the Guild leaving Avatar and the Guildmaster to ponder the door.

"So what is supposed to be in there?" Avatar asked looking at the door.

"The Fire Heart." The Guildmaster answered. "It's the key to reaching the Northern Wastes."

"And how do I get the Fire Heart?" Avatar said approaching the door.

The Guildmaster said nothing.

"Ah, I see you carry Jack of Blades' mask." The Demon Door startled Avatar. "The prophets told me you would come. You are in fact worthy to enter."

Avatar had no clue what was going on but he decided it didn't matter and waited as the Demon Door opened. The Guildmaster stopped him before he entered.

"No one knows what's beyond that door, Avatar. Be careful."

Avatar nodded and entered the gaping doorway. Inside, he saw a pulsing orb burning high above a platform of squares. Around the platform on all sides of the wall were giant hollow crystals with a man on the inside of each one.

"Finally, you've arrived." One of them said in a high pitched voice.

"We've been trapped for eons in these stupid confinement chambers." Another said in a shockingly low voice.

"But now that the destroyer of Jack of Blades is here, we know that we'll be saved." Another piped up.

Avatar counted six of them in all. He suspected them to be the prophets. So far, they seemed like a bunch of unruly men.

"Listen." One of them directed his attention back to Avatar. "There's a puzzle on that platform. We need you to figure it out in order to release us. When you release us all, you'll get the Fire Heart."

"How do you know I need the Fire Heart?" Avatar asked very confused.

"Because, we're the prophets, now don't interrupt me. If you don't finish the puzzle in time, the Heart will burn you and eventually kill you. But if you turn all of the symbols over onto a moon instead of a sun on accident, one of us will die. You want them all on a sun."

"Yes." Another said excitedly. "And if you kill one of us, you'll never get the Heart."

"Hey, that's not what you said earlier." One of the said accusingly.

"Shut up you imbecile!" he snapped.

Avatar looked at the puzzle. It looked relatively simplistic and ridiculous that this would be the way to get to the Fire Heart. But it was the only way so he stepped onto a square and began the puzzle.

* * *

Hook Coast again stood empty. Sabre stood in front of the Cullis Gate shivering but he was more appropriately dressed this time. Avatar had sent word to him to meet him in Hook Coast. After hearing about his experiences in Hook Coast, Rebecca had given some warm clothing to Sabre for him to use. He would be less mobile but at least he wouldn't be as cold. Avatar arrived with Briar Rose holding a giant pulsing orb. Sabre huddle close to it and opened the jacket he was wearing slightly.

"We need to put the Fire Heart up in the lighthouse. From there, it should bring the Ship of the Drowned. And then it's off to the Northern Wastes with you." Briar said kicking some snow off of her boot.

"You're not coming with?" Avatar asked.

"No. I'm not much of a ship girl. I'll be using the Cullis Gate after your Guild Seal activates it. Scythe destroyed his before he got there for fear of Maze getting there."

Through their conversation, Sabre's attention remained fixed on the distant dock. The water there was especially unsettled. Everywhere else it was relatively calm.

Avatar arrived at the top of the lighthouse and placed the Fire Heart in the well there. It hovered slightly and pulsed brighter. When he came out of the lighthouse, he was met with a cry from Sabre. He whirled around to see a bright blue sphere crashing into the Fire Heart.

"It's a Summoner!" Briar yelled. "Quickly, get to the dock before it destroys the Fire Heart!"

* * *

**Bah! Lame chapter. I don't like it very much. Anyway, I now know what I'm doing for the chapters from here on out. So expect more detail and clarity. I hope you all enjoy it. **


	14. The Truth

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

"PLEASE!" she begged the guard to let her go. "MY SON!"

"You'll not trick me, witch!" the guard tugged again at her shirt choking her and sending her to the ground.

"I'm not a witch!" she proclaimed. "My name is Alexia and my son is in that building."

She pointed at the flaming house that held her husband now. His cries of agony had long since stopped.

"Yeah, mine too." The guard guffawed and took Alexia by her hair. "Now c'mon. You've got a date with a stake…and maybe my boys too if they're bored."

"Oh, Avo! Help me!" she cried towards the heavens.

The guard turned and swatted Alexia across her cheek leaking blood from her lip.

"Don't you call upon the holy god, Avo!" the guard spat in her face. "We know your god to be Skorm and Skorm alone!"

"NO! I worship Avo! Now please, let me…"

He swatted her again and began dragging her down the hill. The chief of Knothole Glade stood at the door of his home cringing at the sight of the burning home.

"It just ain't right." He muttered.

The burning house's porch collapsed and the rest of the house soon followed. All that was left was smoldering ash. But not too far away, hiding in a bush, a small three year old boy watched the decimation of what he had once called his home. Though the boy didn't fully understand all that had happened, he knew that he would not soon see his mother and father again. So he ran as far as his short and stubby legs would take him. He collapsed in front of a giant stone face and simultaneously, he could hear the pain ridden screams of a woman. His nostrils ached with the smell of burnt flesh and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Always scared, aren't you?"

The boy started at the voice but couldn't find the source.

"That is the one thing I can't understand in you humans. Fear."

The boy turned to see that it was the giant stone face talking to him. It frightened him but he stayed. Curiosity held his feet in place.

"I can understand desire, lust, hate, sadness. All of those, but not fear. You kill each other off telling yourselves that it's better them than you. You fear each other so much and act on that fear in the most inappropriate manner." The stone face continued.

The boy looked up at the face, his own swollen and wet from crying. A chill wind blew threw the trees and he shivered but his gaze didn't fall off of the door.

"You're not afraid, are you?" the door asked.

The boy shook his head.

"Why?"

The boy had no answer. He was already half naked without a shirt or pants. He only had undergarments which his mother had dressed him in for bed.

"Those were your parents, were they not?" the door asked.

The door was again met with silence. He had just witnessed the most terrifying and horrible thing he could have at that age and he didn't feel like reflecting on it. Not that he knew what that word meant.

"Of course they are. A whole town gathered to burn a witch and a necromancer and only one barely dressed boy not among the torches and hatred. Who else would you belong to?"

The boy shivered again and he was beginning to grow angry. His home had been burnt to the ground, his father burnt before his eyes and his mother at the stake. They had crucified his father inside and then set the entire house on fire. The boy had managed to see his father die through a collapsed part of a wall. He wished he hadn't.

"So much hatred." The door interrupted what few thoughts were in the boy's head. "And you in the middle of it. I don't envy you. You're one of the only ones I don't feel jealousy for. Your pain would be unbearable."

A loud and terrible howl echoed throughout the forest of Knothole Glade and the boy whipped around and began to panic. He didn't know what the sound was but the sound seemed to travel through the trees as though they were carrying it between them.

"The White Balverine." The door grumbled.

He looked down at the shivering orphan and only felt pity.

"You must one day earn this." The door said and opened.

* * *

Avatar awoke to see himself in the same place he had been in for the past two weeks. A cold, drippy ship that creaked and groaned every time a mouse took a step. The ship rocked back and forth uncomfortably making it almost impossible to sleep. The dreams were coming regularly now. Nightmares of Sabre's origin and what he felt. Avatar rubbed his eyes and stood up. The floorboards groaned in protest and Avatar glared at them. He climbed the steps to the deck and looked out over the open sea. 

"A wide expanse of water from one frozen piece of land to another. Briar, you owe me one on this." Avatar lamented.

An army of Summoners had come out and tried to destroy the Fire Heart. Sabre and Briar Rose worked on the same Summoners as Avatar had cast Berserk and began swinging madly. Sabre had taken one look at the ship and then gone into the temporary care of Briar. Having lived in Knothole Glade for most of his life, Sabre had an abnormal vulnerability to the cold. Seeing as his dreams and nightmares had been about nothing but Sabre and Liana the past two weeks, Avatar had little else to think about. There was the overwhelming feeling of something sinister coming. Something so familiar. Avatar didn't want to think about it though. He wanted to have a good night's sleep. Not that he would get it on this pile of rot and wood though.

* * *

Sabre fell back and shook his head trying to recover from the blow. As nothing had happened in the past two weeks, he had taken it upon himself to join the Fist Fighters Gang. The Bowerstone, Oakvale and Twinblade's Camp were among Sabre's finished roster. All three gangs hadn't proved much of a challenge but they were certainly fun. The chief stood over Sabre and grinned down at him. 

"Have you had enough, Sabre?" the chief asked heartily.

He was honestly concerned for Sabre's well being. The fight had become more of a grapple as both were becoming frustrated with their performance in the ring or lack thereof. Both were sweating profusely and the moon cast a pale light on them as though watching intently. The chief had just landed the first hit of this fight and Sabre had not expected the blow to be so hard.

"No." he growled and stood up again.

The chief swung his fist in an arch towards Sabre who ducked and punched the chief square in the gut. The chief stumbled slightly but swung again only to miss. Sabre kicked outward making contact with the chief's chest and onto his rear. Sabre laughed and wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Now I ask you. Have you had enough?" Sabre taunted the chief.

"Come now." The chief said in an offended voice. "You know me better than that! One knock on me arse and you assume I'm done for? Well bollocks to that!"

The chief stood again smiling. Sabre took his stance again, low to the ground waiting for any attacks from the legs but well aware of the upper torso. He swayed back and forth awaiting the next strike. It came from the chief's right hand glancing off of Sabre's forearm and he countered with a swipe at the leg. The chief allowed his leg to be taken and brought it up to meet Sabre's face. Sabre fell back with a bloody nose and sore body.

"Well, it's about time that ended." The chief laughed.

The men around the ring cheered for a splendid performance and then left the chief and Sabre for an after match recount.

"You did well, Sabre." The chief said helping Sabre back to his feet.

Sabre, of course, didn't think so highly of the fight though. The chief was the head of the Fist Fighter's Gang and was the final combatant one needed to defeat in order to claim himself the champion of the Fist Fighter's Gang. It was simple enough seeing as the final ring was in Knothole Glade and Sabre had easy access to it. He grumbled his response to the chief which came out inaudible and took his clothing and equipment back up. His bandit's shirt and his weapons.

"Maybe some other time!" the chief called laughing. "Give my regards to Rebecca!"

Rebecca. Sabre had forgotten about her in the heat of the fight. Odd though it was, his thoughts rarely wondered back to her when he was fighting. Rebecca had something important to tell him. She had said so before he left for the fight. She wanted to surprise him in the morning with the news. He already knew her to be pregnant. Not that her figure showed any sign of it, but he could feel the difference inside of her just by holding her. She seemed excited with the news. Sabre was confused with it though. It wasn't that he found anything wrong with impregnating her, it was why she was so excited. From what he had been told by those around Knothole Glade, pregnancy was a long and difficult process. Painful in some cases. So why was Rebecca so happy? He came into their bedroom to see her sleeping. She had curled herself into a ball in the sheets and her arms outstretched as though something were supposed to be there. That something being Sabre.

* * *

"It's about time." Briar complained over the Guild Seal. "I'm going to transport to Snowspire Village and have a look around. I'll see you there." 

Avatar was growing very frustrated with Briar Rose. He was cold, tired, hungry and lonely. A month without any human contact had gone by and now the first person he was to meet would be an empty shell of a person, Scythe. Avatar cursed his luck and looked for the village. Scythe had come to the Northern Wastes when Avatar was still a very young boy. Avatar and Maleficus had been sent up to Maze's quarters for starting a playful brawl and seen Maze and Scythe arguing. Scythe was leaving for the Northern Wastes and Maze wanted him to activate the Cullis Gates first thing. They didn't hear much more as the argument ended at the sight of the two young apprentices. Beyond that, Avatar had had no actual contact with Scythe. The Guildmaster had always told him to be grateful for that. Scythe looked like a corpse and didn't smell much better.

"Please come to the village immediately, Avatar." Scythe spoke to him over the Guild Seal. "We have urgent business to discuss."

Avatar sighed and trudged through the snow muttering obscenities.

* * *

"SABRE!" the chief pounded on the door. "Open up! I need to speak wi' you!" 

The door opened and Sabre stood in the doorway in question.

"Yes?"

The chief pushed past Sabre and began pacing. "I've heard the most horrible things! Just, awful things."

"What?" Sabre said leaning on the open door.

The chief almost spoke but shook his head. How was he to say this?

"Just…" he paused. "just promise me you'll be careful. Stay in Knothole Glade and away from the public sight, okay?"

"Why?"

"Just do it, okay?"

"All right, but I'd like to know why." Sabre let go of the door and stood up straight.

"There's somebody coming for you!" The chief blurted out. "I don't know who, but from the sound of things, he ain't friendly. Some traders stopping by came around with the usual rumors but this one caught my attention. They say this one wields a power like none they've never seen. Please, I had to watch your parents killed. Don't make me have to watch you, too."

Sabre's mind coursed through the thousand different possibilities as to who could hold a power like none other and that would come for him. He had made his enemies along the way, but they were dead. Most of them anyway. None of them could have gained too much power without it coming to public knowledge. They said their goodbyes and Sabre sat down to think. Looked like today wasn't going to be as happy as Rebecca would want it to be.

* * *

"I need you to go to the Necropolis." Scythe said to Avatar. "Get the glyphs there so we can speak to the Oracle. They can tell us what's happening here. I don't understand this, Avatar. The coming of these Summoners, why now? It doesn't make any sense." 

Scythe left Avatar in company of the Oracle. The three dormant stone faces that held all the secrets of Albion. The Necropolis was a ghost town. Literally. Scythe had explained it to Avatar as a town where the spirits of its citizens dwelled unaware that they had died. It held other perils as well. Minions. Summoners. Undead. The usual.

Briar Rose came up behind Avatar and spoke in a shaky voice. "Avatar?"

He turned to see her and sighed. "Looks like this might take me some time. I've got to…"

Her eyes held a fear in them She didn't hold the same confidence she used to.

"What's happened?" he asked not wanting to hear the answer.

"You have to get those glyphs." She said.

Her voice broke with every word as though each one was going to bring her doom.

"What's happened?" Avatar repeated.

"I don't know, but if what I've read is right, you have to get those glyphs. Go."

She disappeared not giving him the chance to speak. He rolled his eyes and pondered. The Necropolis was his next destination.

* * *

"I'm pregnant." Rebecca's eyes glittered with happiness as she said the words. 

Sabre showed no emotion. He said nothing either. Instead, he sat staring at her.

"Well?" she said holding his hands.

They sat on the bed facing each other as she told him this.

"Well…what?" Sabre shrugged.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked pushing his shoulder smiling.

"Oh. Uh. I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? I'm pregnant. That means I'm going to be having your baby. Does that make you happy?" she tried to coax an answer out of him.

"Sure?" he said this in question hoping it to be the right answer.

She dropped her hands and laughed. "You're impossible to deal with, you know that?"

She sat on his lap so as to put his ribs between her legs and squeeze him playfully. "I wish I knew what was in your head."

She flicked her nose across his and kissed him.

"Why?"

"Because, every time I'm happy or sad or angry or anything, you're emotion stays the same. I just wish I knew what you were thinking. I love you and this _is_ a good thing."

"Is it?"

"Yes!" she said laughing. "I'm going to be the mother of your child. Your legacy will go on. Isn't that what every man wants?"

"Well I'm not exactly every man."

"That's beside the point. I'm going to have you child and then you'll see what I mean."

She kissed him again and then got up to leave.

"Rebecca." He said.

"Hm?" she turned around and leaned against the doorway.

He shifted himself and faced her. "What will its name be?"

She smiled and approached him. She held him and pressed his ear to her belly.

"What do you want its name to be?"

Sabre paused for a moment listening and the looked up at her. "Alexis."

"Your mother's name?"

"No. My mother's name was Alexia."

"Close enough. But what if it's a boy?"

He listened again and then spoke. "Artemis."

Rebecca stifled an outburst of laughter. "Okay. If that's what you want. They'll have my last name though seeing as you don't have one."

Sabre frowned. "Artemis Cameros?"

* * *

"I don't believe it." Avatar muttered. 

Scythe stood beside him equally surprised with the Oracle's answer. Jack of Blades.

"Oracle, why has he come back?" Scythe asked loudly.

The stone face's voice rumbled. "Jack of Blades has returned to exact revenge on those who are responsible for his previous death. He will return more powerful than ever."

"No, that can't be. I saw him, he's dead!" Avatar yelled angrily.

"What was killed was only a vessel for a being." The Oracle said.

"So Jack of Blades is to come back." Avatar growled and kicked at nothing.

"Correct." The Oracle said. "But Jack of Blades is not the only one to come back. There is another who has already returned."

"What? Who?" Avatar barked.

* * *

**Okay, I didn't really like the chapter before this one so I wrote this chapter and updated less than an hour afterward. This chapter gives a buildup for some things that happen in the next one. I'll give you a heads up, the title of this chapter gives you a hint as to what happens. Enjoy!**


	15. Redemption

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

**Author's Note: This is kind of a graphic chapter. Just a heads up. Wait a minute. It's more than kind of graphic. It's graphic and some may find it disturbing. Please don't let that stop you from reviewing.**

"Quickly!" the door spoke to the boy.

The boy took his bow out and took the augmentation from the ground. He pressed it in place on his bow and watched the power surge through the wooden structure. He took an arrow out and notched it. As though assuring him, a silver light slid from the bowstring to the tip of the arrow.

"Is it set?" the door asked unable to see around the boy's back.

He turned to show the door too excited to actually say anything. The horrible howl that haunted the boy's dreams shook him back to reality and he mounted a tree's branches.

"Aim well, boy." The door yelled after him.

The door and the boy had spoken and been together for thirteen years. The boy stayed inside the door's sanctum for protection and occasionally came out for food or other things. He was quite the adept with a bow and could hit almost anything as long as a bow could reach the distance. The howl erupted again and he could hear the chief ordering men to close the gates.

"Hurry, get the gates closed now!" the chief commanded. "The White Balverine's coming!"

As though waiting for the cue, the White Balverine came bounding out into the clearing before Knothole Glade's gates. The gates closed just as the beast was through and the chief ordered them to open the gate again. Two guards were already dead as the White Balverine began the bloodshed. The boy jumped on top of the town wall and drew an arrow. He aimed carefully at the giant form of white fur preparing to slash the chief. He let loose an arrow piercing the Balverine's coat. It roared and then looked for the source of the arrow. Another struck its shoulder and knocked it to the ground. The Balverine howled and then charged out of the gates as another arrow pierced its back and spurt blood.

"What in the?" the chief held his chest. "Uh. Guards! Get this gate closed!"

He looked up to see the teenage boy holding his bow and looking outward.

"You! You did that?" the chief asked amazed.

A small crowd began to form to cheer for him. As the boy lowered himself, a woman approached him to hug him in thanks. She was instead met by his hand on her throat and her jewelry was missing.

"What the? Why, he's not more than a thief." A man called out. "Get him!"

* * *

"Did you feel that?" Sabre asked Rebecca. 

He went to the window and looked out. Nothing was out of the norm. The rain created a cool breeze blowing in their window.

"Feel what?" she said coming up the stairs.

"Felt like some kind of surge. I can't explain it."

Rebecca leaned outward to look outside and saw what Sabre saw. Knothole Glade and its citizens. A few of them were trying to get from the tavern or other stores and back to their homes without getting too wet but most were failing.

"Stores should be closing up soon, was there anything you wanted?" Rebecca asked moving away.

"No." he strained his eyes trying to see through blankets of rain but couldn't see anything that would have been the source of his feeling.

"Sabre, there's nothing out there."

"Yes there is." He argued. "I can feel it, I just can't see it."

* * *

Avatar sprinted from the Witchwood Cullis Gate. He had to tell Sabre. Something was blocking the Knothole Glade Cullis Gate so he was forced to take the Witchwood Gate. Balverines and bandits struck at him as he passed, most of their attacks glanced off of his armor and the others he ignored. He turned up the path towards Knothole Glade and could smell the faint burning of wood.

* * *

"Rebecca! Get down!" Sabre ordered her. 

He closed the window's shutters and took the stairs two at a time downward. A building had caught fire and amazingly had stayed ablaze in the rain. It wasn't the fire that frightened him, it was actually the fact that he had noticed before closing the shutters that the house on the other side of his was beginning to catch fire as well. The houses on either side were targeted and for some reason, his wasn't. He twisted the knob on the door and the entire frame exploded into splinters. Sabre fell back with a few of the splinters lodged into his skin. He looked up to see a dark from that he thought at first to be Avatar. The figure had about their entire form Dark Plate mail. Sabre reached for a splinter and tore it out before trying to stand up. A foot came down on his chest and slammed him back down. He felt long, cold fingers wrap themselves around his neck and lift him into the air and bring his face close to the burning red eyes.

"Maleficus." Sabre's voice came out gurgled because of the grasp on his throat.

"You've gained quite the reputation from my death, haven't you?" Maleficus said smiling.

His breath reminded him of the burnt flesh of his mother. It invaded his nostrils and stung them. He squirmed against Maleficus' grip but his strength had grown since they had last fought.

"My power has long surpassed what strength you have, boy. Give up." Maleficus said.

Rebecca rushed down the stairs to see the towering form holding Sabre's throat. She stopped and gasped at the sight of Maleficus and stepped back.

"Ah, the prize." Maleficus grinned.

"Don't…" Sabre coughed. "Don't touch her."

"Well that would ruin the reason I came." Maleficus spat in Sabre's faced and threw him into the wall.

Sabre's head made contact and dented the wall. He fell and rolled off of a table. His vision doubled and he saw two Maleficuses approaching two Rebeccas. Rebecca slowly backed away from the slowly approaching Maleficus and glared up at him. She darted to one side but Maleficus' hand shot out and took her throat in his hand.

"And where would you be going?" he said smiling.

Maleficus turned back to Sabre and held Rebecca's back against his own chest.

"I seem to remember this scene." Maleficus said. "Only, I acted it out with Avatar. He didn't care for the girl as much as you care for this one. Oh! What's this?"

Maleficus' hand strayed down to Rebecca's belly and he grinned.

"What do you want?" Rebecca sobbed.

"I suppose you would call it revenge." Maleficus said.

"Take the bow and go. I don't care. Just let her go." Sabre said still seeing double and unable to stand.

The left side of his face was covered in blood and cuts. Rebecca wanted to help him but there was something paralyzing about Maleficus' grip.

"Oh, no." Maleficus laughed. "That bow is worth nothing to me anymore. I'm looking for something much more."

Sabre was on his hands and knees when he lost balance and slammed into the chair. He fell back down and began the struggle back to his feet.

"So." Maleficus began. "In the time that I've been gone, you've managed to kill my companion in the dark arts and impregnate this whore with your spawn. Oh yes, I almost forgot. You also assisted Avatar in reaching the Ship of the Drowned. Have I missed anything?"

Sabre grunted trying to regain focus and fell again. Maleficus drug an exposed nail across Rebecca's cheek opening a small wound.

"Stop!" Sabre yelled.

"Don't try and tell me what to do, boy!" Maleficus spat. "The worst is yet to come."

Avatar came up to closed gates and took out Solus. He yelled in rage and at the same time grew to an abnormal size. He swung the Greatsword obliterating the wooden gate. He swung again knocking away what was left of it and stepped into the town. Bodies littered the ground where he stood and buildings had been set ablaze. Five of them stood burning and a few others had been demolished. Avatar noticed the only one that had been completely unharmed expect for a missing door was Sabre's home. He rushed to the porch and saw Sabre lying flat on his back. On the other side of the room, the entire wall had been scorched.

"Sabre!" Avatar yelled rushing to his aid.

Sabre's entire face was covered in blood and the majority of his clothing had been cut or burnt. Avatar expected the worst trying to get Sabre to open his eyes or some other form of life. Avatar was exhausted and unable to cast any type of physical spell that might help Sabre. He shook the boy trying to wake him but the lifeless body remained lifeless.

"Sabre! Wake up! Come on!" Avatar wiped some of the blood off of Sabre's face and shook his shoulder lightly.

"Damn it!" Avatar cursed and then took his Guild Seal in his hand. "Briar! Get to Knothole Glade quickly! And contact the Guild when you get here. Tell them to send everyone that can be spared, Sabre's been hurt and I don't know where Rebecca is!"

"I'm on my way." She said.

* * *

Sabre woke up in a bed inside of Avatar's home. His head felt like it would explode and his side ached. Memories came back to him of what happened to Rebecca and he forgot his pain. 

Liana came up the stairs to see him awake and rushed to his side.

"Avatar! Come quickly! Sabre, are you okay?" she asked holding his shoulders.

She sat down on the side of the bed looking at him trying to bring him out of his trance. Avatar rushed up the stairs and came to the side of the bed.

"No. I'm not." Sabre managed to say quietly.

"What happened?" Avatar asked.

"Maleficus came…he…killed Rebecca." Sabre choked on his own words and felt like he was going to vomit.

"He did what? Why?" Liana exclaimed.

Sabre's focus was off when he saw all of it happen so the memories were coming back to him slowly. It wasn't until he reached the worst of them that he was truly speechless. Sabre pushed past Liana and tried to walk but fell to the ground.

"Sabre! What are you doing?" Avatar knelt down and helped him back onto the bed.

Avatar looked at Sabre trying to calm him but he could barely see the pupils through the red swollen cheeks. Sabre spoke but what he said was inaudible through the sobs.

"Sabre, stop. What happened?" Avatar said calmly.

Sabre bent his head down and sobbed. His hair moved around and blocked any visibility of his face.

"He…raped her." He whispered.

The words and tears were only met by silence.

"He made sure I watched. And he made sure she was dead." Sabre raised his head again. "How long has it been since you found me?"

"Two days." Avatar muttered still in shock.

"Bastard." The words blurted out of Sabre. "I'll make sure he pays for what he did."

"How would you do that? You don't even know how he found you." Avatar said standing up.

"I don't care. I just want him dead." Sabre leaned forward and put his face in his hands.

"How did he come back?" Liana asked angrily. "Sabre killed him. Broke his neck and he sank into the underworld."

"Jack must have brought him back." Avatar said.

"JACK?" Liana exclaimed. "Now Jack of Blades is back as well?"

"Not yet. He's regaining his power. He still has the ability to bring things from the Netherworld though." Avatar said.

"Twinblade." Sabre said looking up.

Both Avatar and Liana looked at him in confusion.

"What about him?" Avatar asked.

"He told Maleficus." Sabre said. "He told that bastard where I was. The exact house I was in."

"Okay. How do you know?" Avatar asked skeptically.

Sabre looked up at Avatar, rage flaring up in his eyes. "Listen for once and you might hear something."

It wasn't until now that Avatar noticed a strong breeze through the leaves of the trees. He came to the realization and remembered Twinblade thanking Sabre.

"But he was grateful for you ridding him of Maleficus." Avatar said.

Sabre rolled his eyes in disgust. "Are all of you heroes this stupid? Either Maleficus scared him again or he knew he would be coming back. Whichever it is, I'm going to Twinblade's camp."

Sabre got up and began searching for his clothes immediately.

"But, Maleficus might be there." Avatar protested.

"I know." Sabre said.

"I've mended your clothes. They're in the chest over there. Along with your weapons." Liana said pointing to the chest at the foot of the bed.

"What? Why are you helping him?" Avatar exclaimed. "Maleficus will kill him!"

A strong breeze blew again and Sabre spoke. "Maleficus isn't there."

Sabre took out the bandit's vest and put it on. In a few moments he was fully dressed and equipped again. His face was dry but his eyes were still slightly red and his face still had cuts along it.

"So why are you still going there if Maleficus isn't there?" Avatar asked.

"I'm going to kill Twinblade. And I'm going to make sure he gets a taste of what he did to Rebecca." Sabre said and went for the balcony.

"Sabre, wait!" Avatar took hold of Sabre's shoulder and turned him. "Use the Cullis Gate. I'm coming with you."

* * *

They both arrived in Twinblade's camp to find it seemingly deserted. 

"There might be a raid or something." Avatar said kicking a bucket over.

"They're waiting for us." Sabre muttered after a breeze came through.

"What?"

"They're in Twinblade's tent waiting for the both of us. They know we're here and they know we're coming. I don't plan on disappointing them."

Sabre sprinted ahead through the first gate. Avatar realized Sabre's intentions and chased after. Twinblade's Elite Camp was equally as deserted. The fires had been stamped out and the entire camp was dark. The moon loomed overhead peering over the clouds as though it were afraid to see what was going to happen but at the same time curious.

The gates to Twinblade's tent had been left wide open taunting the two dark figures to enter. Neither was up to arguing with it and stepped through. Silence greeted them when they stepped in. Alone in his tent was the legendary bandit king Twinblade. Upon his face was a grin and in his eye was the look of greed. He served Maleficus once again. Twinblade stood as they entered.

"Why?" was the only thing Sabre could ask.

He knew that bandits resided in the woods on either side of the path. He didn't care though. He even knew that they intended to cut the trees down at Twinblade's command. He just wanted to know why.

"Why?" Twinblade repeated. "You ask me why? Why did I lure you here? Why did I kill hundreds of people? Why did I leave the Heroes Guild? Why what, boy?"

"Why did you side with Maleficus again?" Sabre specified.

Twinblade's grin left his face and he took his two blades from their sheaths. Each blade was about the size of Sabre but he stood his ground and ignored their size.

"Because Maleficus is a god." Twinblade said. "He is a being of enormous power. I bow to no man. But I will bow to a god. And Maleficus is a god. Away with them!"

As though receiving the wrong cue, the trees bent down and scooped bandits up and threw them. Screaming bandits were flung through the air and landed on their heads breaking their necks or skulls. As each one flew overhead, Sabre's grin grew wider. Twinblade watched in horror and panic as his plan backfired. Only one tree fell. The others had defended themselves and had killed most of the bandits in the camp.

"I haven't even taken my weapon out yet and you've already lost." Sabre said over the commotion.

Twinblade looked back down to Sabre and roared in anger. "I AM TWINBLADE! KING OF THE BANDITS! I HAVE NEVER LOST!"

He charged towards Sabre frothing at the mouth.

"Don't help me." Sabre growled at Avatar. "No matter what."

He took the Cutlass Bluetane from his back and just as Twinblade reached him, he dived between the legs of the king and slashed out his hamstrings. Twinblade fell to his knees yelling and swung his blade back. Sabre parried but the force of the blow sent him skidding along the ground and into a bush. He raised himself back to his feet as did Twinblade. Twinblade on the other hand stumbled and occasionally fell back to his knees. Sabre ran up and began striking in various places. Each strike was met by Twinblade's swords but as the fight progressed, Twinblade became more sluggish. Sabre sliced Twinblade's wrist and one of the swords dropped to the ground. Twinblade swung in a wide side arch and Sabre split his legs to dodge and stabbed down into Twinblade's leg. He roared in pain and raised his sword to strike down. Sabre rolled to the side twisting the Cutlass and Twinblade's leg with him. Twinblade fell to his one leg screaming and then fell forward. Sabre kicked his side only to be met with an obscenity and a blade coming at him. Sabre jumped into the air and sliced down at the arm.

The sword clattered to the ground along with a hand still gripping it. Twinblade groaned and Sabre kicked him in the face.

"Do you know why I'm doing this, Twinblade?" Sabre asked violently.

Twinblade groaned in pain and turned over holding his arm. From the entrance, Avatar watched in horror as Sabre subjected Twinblade to his own form of torture. He stomped down on Twinblade's face breaking his nose and spreading blood over his face.

"DO YOU KNOW WHY?" Sabre yelled.

Twinblade swung out with his hand and Sabre dodged easily bringing the Cutlass up to strike the wrist. The hand fell to the ground bloody and without an owner. Twinblade looked at the stump that was his wrist and sobbed his answer.

"Because, I sided with Maleficus and…told him where you…and your woman were at."

Sabre kicked his head again and screamed. "HER NAME WAS REBECCA! And you helped kill her. You helped kill an innocent girl who was with child. She was without blame in this conflict. And yet you felt a pitiful fear."

He turned the Cutlass over so he held the blunt side at the ready. He struck down on Twinblade's throat and he coughed up blood.

"You felt fear for a man." Sabre said as he dropped the Cutlass and stood up on Twinblade's chest.

Sabre put his feet on each side of Twinblade's chest and knelt down.

"He was no god. He convinced you that he had an unfathomable power and immortality and you believed him. And because you fear for yourself, you told him the location of someone who was without fault."

Sabre found the collarbone of Twinblade and felt it out so he knew where it was.

"What are you doing?" Twinblade said warily.

"I'm repaying you for what you've done." As he said this, Sabre forced his fingers into the skin and took hold of the collarbone.

Twinblade's voice erupted in a blood curdling scream as Sabre pulled outward. The bones slowly cracked and split from the force.

"PLEASE! STOP!" Twinblade yelled. "PLEASE FORGIVE ME! PLEASE!"

Sabre let go and the collarbone came back down. He held Twinblade's face with his own bloody hands and smiled.

"To hell with you and your redemption."

Again, Sabre took hold of the bone and tore at it with all of his strength.

* * *

"Why did you do that?" Avatar asked furiously. 

Sabre walked beside him covered in the blood of the bandit king.

"Because he killed Rebecca."

"No he didn't. Maleficus did!"

Sabre stopped and looked up at Avatar. "He took part in killing her. He was equally as responsible as Maleficus."

Sabre kept walking and left Avatar behind. Avatar thought of this and decided he didn't want to know what Sabre had planned for Maleficus.

"Twinblade was afraid. He had no choice!" Avatar yelled running to catch up.

"Would fear make you do such a thing?" Sabre growled.

"No, but I'm…a…hero." Avatar said this realizing that Twinblade had also been a hero once.

"Figure out how to get to Jack and then wait."

"Why?"

"Because I'm coming with you." Sabre said approaching the Cullis Gate.

"Why don't I come and get you?"

"Because I'm leaving Knothole Glade."

Sabre stepped through the Cullis Gate and disappeared. Avatar stood alone in a mix of fear and concern. He had just watched Sabre tear the ribcage out of Twinblade and not once did his face betray any emotion or thought. He took no notice to the amount of blood or the screams of Twinblade. What horrified Avatar the most is that Twinblade wasn't dead when Sabre left him. He was only inches from death as Sabre had gotten up and left. He shuddered as he remembered it. Avatar couldn't imagine what Sabre was thinking or going through. He had once lost his family as well of course, but there was a difference in their losses. They had both lost their families. Sabre had lost everything. The first person he had friendly contact with. His first love. His first _lover._ Sabre would return to the woods where he lived for so many years. He wouldn't accept the luxury of civilization. Not after the only person he shared it with was brutally murdered right in front of him. Avatar set off to Snowspire Village again to find a way to get to Jack of Blades.

* * *

**To tell you the truth, I kinda hated writing this chapter. I also hated posting it. I don't like killing off characters. Especially someone like Rebecca. It was however, crucial. So Rebecca is dead now. Sorry for those of you who liked her such as SpazzChicken. I know some of you really liked her. **


	16. The Souls of Heroes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

"The king of the arena." Briar Rose explained to Avatar what the inscription said. "Of course, they're plenty of those including you. But, then again, I doubt you want to put your own head on the chopping block."

They stood in Archon's Shrine trying to figure out how to open the Bronze Gate so Avatar could proceed through and defeat Jack of Blades once and for all.

"You could talk to Thunder." Briar suggested. "He's in Knothole Glade; he should be able to help you with this. Remember, you have to trap the soul in Jack's Mask. It's the only way to get hold of them and use them here."

"Right, I'll be back shortly. Hopefully, Thunder won't be as sour since our last encounter." Avatar said and willed his destination through his Guild Seal.

He appeared in Knothole Glade to find the chief try to shoo Thunder away. Avatar looked at Thunder, a massive black man with golden armor and a dead sister who had once been Avatar's lover.

"I'm not going to tell you again! We don't need a hero. For once, we're not being kidnapped, under siege, robbed or anything else for that matter! Well…maybe I am going to tell you again. Bugger off!" the chief turned away angrily and left Thunder to stew over his uselessness.

"Thunder." Avatar announced clearly.

Thunder turned to see Avatar sighed with annoyance.

"You. Are you here to add onto my problems?"

"No. I'm here because of an inscription." Avatar was going to explain but Thunder interrupted him.

"Yes, yes. I know. We've all been listening into yours and Briar's conversations." Thunder said after Avatar gave him a confused look. "There are many who called themselves the king of the arena including you and me. I would suggest you go there and figure it out. Now leave me be."

Avatar nodded and began to walk away when he heard Jack's voice. "Why take all that time to walk down to the arena when you have one of the kings right here. Kill Thunder. He's of no use to anyone but himself. And even that usefulness is questionable. Come now, he doesn't need his soul."

"Shut up Jack." Avatar said aloud.

"What?" Thunder looked at Avatar.

Avatar thanked Avo for ending of Jack's voice and looked at Thunder. "Nothing."

* * *

"You seem to be taking Rebecca's death well." Briar Rose said.

Sabre lowered himself down beside her and frowned at her. "I show no emotion except whenever I talk. Don't speak of it again."

"That's not healthy." Briar said and felt over the second inscription.

"I don't care what's healthy or what's not as long as Maleficus and Jack meet the fates that they deserve to meet."

"And what fates are those?" Briar asked.

"Excruciating death." Sabre summarized it in two words.

"That won't help, you know." Briar turned to him.

"What won't help?"

"Killing them. You'll still miss Rebecca. Look at what you did to Twinblade. How did you feel after you killed him?"

"I don't care how I feel. I'll kill them and that's the end of it. Didn't I say I didn't want to discuss this?"

Briar smiled. "It's part of my charm that I can lure people into talking about what they don't want to. You need to talk about it."

"I don't need to do any such thing. Now shut up!"

Briar stopped smiling and walked closer to Sabre. "Don't speak to me like that. You have to remember something. You killed a hero." She put her hand up to his mouth as she knew what he was about to say. "I know, he wasn't _actually_ a hero. Either way, he came for revenge and you should've been prepared for that. So stop moping about and try helping out."

"I killed him. I broke his neck and felt the life leaving him. He was dead. And you expect me to be alert? I'm sorry if I don't have the senses of a glorious and self-righteous hero!"

Briar grabbed Sabre's throat and tripped him flattening him against the ground.

"Listen to me. Not all of us are sycophantic pawns in the Guild's works. We can be ourselves. I understand you're upset." Sabre struggled against her grip but she twisted her wrist and cut off his air supply. "Simply because you're upset doesn't mean that we all need to stop and help you grieve. Get over what happened. There are bigger things going on."

She let go and went back to the inscription. An enraged and humiliated Sabre stood up holding his throat but did nothing against Briar. He rubbed his neck and inhaled deeply.

"What can I do to help?" he asked grudgingly.

"Nothing for the time being. The inscription on the here says that only one hero may pass through the Bronze Gate to face Jack. Since you're not much of a hero (no offense,) and I can't imagine Jack will be in there alone, you can head in with Avatar when the time comes. That's it. The heroine. The heroine?"

"What are you talking about?" Sabre came up beside her and looked at the circle.

"It says that this one requires the soul of the heroine."

"So who would that be?"

"Well, there are several who fall under that category. I'll discuss it with Avatar when he gets here."

* * *

Avatar turned and brought his blade up slicing an undead in half. The two halves fell to the side and exploded.

"Well ladies and gentlemen." Jack's voice erupted through the arena.

He had been taunting Avatar since he had entered the arena with this. Acting as though an actual audience were watching him and sending several opponents at him.

"Can our _hero _take on one more wave of enemies?"

Summoners and Minions appeared to charge at Avatar. He wiped his lip and cast Berserk. Minions were blasted back but Summoners only came at him relentlessly. Avatar sent Solus down on their heads and bodies eradicating any trace of enemies in the area. The Minions stood back up and swung their blades downward to be met by the Solus. Avatar kicked a Minion down and turned to another to stab it in the stomach. Without drawing his sword back out, Avatar swung the Minion into the air and down onto the one on the ground causing two separate explosions.

"Oh, you're no fun to taunt. Fine, take your soul." Jack sighed and for a moment, the arena was quiet. "Oh yes, I almost forgot to ask. How did Sabre like his special visit?"

Avatar almost dropped Jack's mask.

"Shut up, Jack."

"Oh come now. I imagine he liked it very much." Jack laughed and his voice slowly faded away leaving Avatar infuriated.

Avatar appeared in Archon's Shrine and held the mask out. A swirling blue light came from it and entered the stone circle. He turned to see Briar Rose and Sabre standing together.

"Sabre?" Avatar said. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been asking myself that for a while."

"I've figured the second inscription out." Briar interrupted. "It says the heroine. Well, it doesn't get any simpler than that. Of course, I could give my soul up, but I happen to like it right where it is. Avatar, it will have to be your mother. I know what you're about to say but she was always about sacrificing for the greater good."

Avatar was far too angry to argue after Jack's comments. He nodded holding back the outburst of how she shouldn't presume that his mother would be willing to do this sort of thing. He held the Guild Seal and disappeared to his destination of Oakvale. It was of course something his mother would do. Avatar just hated the idea of using his mother's soul for something like Jack of Blades. He stepped down from the Cullis Gate and heard Jack's voice.

"After all your mother has been through, you're going to take her soul? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Take Briar's. She's of use to nobody but herself."

Avatar ignored him and made his way towards the cemetery. He approached the entrance and Jack spoke again.

"Fine. If you must persist. Though I think there will be a great deal of…screaming!" Jack's voice faded as he cackled maniacally in Avatar's ear.

He entered the cemetery and his mother's ghost appeared in front of him. "Avatar. Thank Avo. There are Screamers here. They're torturing my soul, stop them!"

She disappeared and Avatar's ears burned with a howl only hell could produce.

* * *

"The oldest one?" Briar read from the inscription.

"These get very vague, don't they?" Sabre asked squinting at the inscription as though it would help him.

"Well there aren't many who qualify as this. Less than a handful."

Avatar formed in from the familiar blue swirl of light and grudgingly released his mother's soul. The red light seemed to scream and reach out to Avatar but he lowered the mask and set it back and secured it inside of his belt.

"You look a bit angrier than even one who had just taken their mother's soul." Briar said.

"The Guildmaster contacted me again." Avatar grumbled. "He's somehow found out that Sabre is here and is insisting that I kill him."

"You must be joking!" Briar exclaimed.

"No. After I protested to what Maleficus has done and that he's side with Jack of Blades, he still insisted that Sabre had to be killed."

"So what are you going to do?" Briar looked back at the inscription.

"Quit."

Briar turned to Avatar to scold him and then realized he wasn't the one to say it. She looked at Sabre who sat on the ground looking back at them.

"He can't just quit the Heroes Guild."

"Why not?" Sabre asked. "The Guildmaster has strayed. I thought this would be obvious. He's under the influence of Maleficus. All Maleficus has to do is twist his thumb a bit and the Guildmaster is at his every whim."

"Is everything this simple to you?" Avatar snarled. "The Guildmaster can sometimes be unreasonable, yes, but he has powers which we can't understand."

"He was defeated by Jack in the Guild. Why not by Maleficus?"

Lacking an explanation, Avatar muttered something and turned back to listen to Briar.

"The inscription says the oldest one. I don't know who it would be talking about."

"Oh, come now. You can't protect that fool any longer!" Jack's voice boomed through Archon's Shrine.

"Jack!" Briar whipped around. "So it's true. He's back. Get to the Guild; they should have some information on who the oldest one is. It can't be the Guildmaster!"

Avatar nodded, speechless for a moment and then spoke. "There has to be another solution. I'll make sure to find it."

Avatar paused briefly to hear the retort of Sabre but nothing came. He turned to find out why and saw just the empty space where Sabre had been blocking the snow from getting to the ground. He turned around and still only saw Briar Rose. His hand strayed down to his belt and he looked down.

"Where's my Guild Seal?"

* * *

**Okay, so, short chapter. And I don't really like it but it had to be in there. I'll make the next chapter significantly better. Don't worry about that. This just builds things up. Enjoy!**


	17. The Bronze Gate

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

"Where's Scythe?" Avatar's mind ran over the possibilities.

"He destroyed his Guild Seal before he even got here." Briar said fingering the spot where her Guild Seal had been before Sabre took it.

"Fine, let's just get to the Snowspire Gate before things get out of hand."

Somehow, Sabre had managed to get hold of both of their Guild Seals and Jack's Mask. Avatar cursed himself for being so inattentive and walked with Briar through the gates of Snowspire.

* * *

"You're a criminal." The Guildmaster muttered moving a book from his desk onto the shelf.

"But I'm innocent." Sabre said from the darkness.

"Innocent? How does committing murder make you innocent?" the Guildmaster said without flinching or even putting a tone of anger in his voice.

"Murder is opposition to justice. What I did was Justice."

"You murdered a hero!" the Guildmaster snarled and twirled around to heave a book into the darkness.

He only briefly saw a shadow drift from one corner of the unlit room to another.

"I destroyed an abomination." Sabre's voice became quieter.

The Guildmaster clenched his teeth and squeezed the side of his desk.

"Maleficus was no hero and you know it. He had you under his influence. And you did what he told you. You feared him. Why?"

The Guildmaster said nothing for a time. Instead, he stared blankly into the darkness where two glowing lights stared back at him. The window allowed for moonlight to make its way in and illuminated the Guildmaster and his desk.

"Because…Maleficus is a god." The answer made Sabre scoff in disgust.

"That's exactly what Twinblade said."

"Then he is wiser than we expected." The Guildmaster let his grip off of the desk.

"Wrong. He _was _a _coward_ just like you."

"Ah, yes. I forgot that you killed him. In such a…"

"Don't say it. Don't you dare say brutal. Merciless. Horrifying. None of those. What I did was showing him the pain he had caused."

"To you? I thought you weren't about revenge."

"Not to me." Sabre's voice quivered at the end of the sentence.

"Ah. Your woman."

"Her name was Rebecca. And so far, you have proven to me that you are exactly like Twinblade. A chauvinistic coward looking out only for himself." Sabre's voice had taken back its edge.

Silence settled in between them again. Sabre expected that Avatar would soon find out that the Cullis Gates were sabotaged to send the person as far away from the Heroes Guild as possible. Sabre wasn't sure if he had done it right so he wanted to hurry but he wanted to know what the Guildmaster had done.

"I don't look out only for myself." The Guildmaster said. "Just think. If Maleficus and Jack take over, yes, there will be a time of chaos and horror when they destroy Albion. But think in the long term, after they have shaped Albion to their liking, peace will settle. They will rule with an iron fist but people will be too afraid of them to commit crimes. Too afraid to do wrong to one another."

"What you're talking about is a dictatorship in which people are scared out of their freedoms. Stop this now, it's not too late."

"Yes it is." The Guildmaster's response was immediate. "It's too late for you to do anything against them. And I'm thankful for that."

The Guildmaster was up and his chair soared through the air in an instant. Sabre rolled to his side but felt the chair strike his shoulder. He hit the ground and kicked into the air and onto his feet only to be met by the Guildmaster. He was taken by his throat and flung against the bookshelf cascading an avalanche of books down onto him when he hit the floor. Sabre stood up immediately with a book in hand and flung it at the Guildmaster who merely flicked his wrist sending the book to the side. Sabre grabbed the shelf behind him and pulled himself up to gain leverage. He pushed off with his legs and bolted towards the Guildmaster. He lost sight of the old man and felt a foot being forced into his back and then kick him over. The Guildmaster stood over him and kicked his side again sending Sabre rolling down the stairs.

The Guildmaster sighed and fixed the cuffs of his sleeves while yelling down the stairs. "Jack and Maleficus are both much more powerful than me. How do you expect to even touch them if you can't defeat me?"

He reached the bottom of the stairs and Sabre was back to his feet with the Cutlass out and facing the Guildmaster.

"What are you doing? Put that down, you stupid boy." The Guildmaster commanded.

Sabre swung it and the Guildmaster slapped it out of his hands. He swung his hand upward and sent Sabre out the doorway and onto the bushes outside. Sabre rolled backward and stumbled until he gained his balance again. The Guildmaster was slowly walking around the bushes and glaring at Sabre.

"I have powers, boy. Powers that you wouldn't even believe."

Sabre took his bow out and notched an arrow. It split the air and the Guildmaster caught it. The tip was just grazing his nose tickling it.

"Well done. One of the best shots I've seen in some time."

The Guildmaster turned the arrow over and threw it at Sabre who in his attempt to move out of the way was cut by the arrow. He held his arm where it was scratched and grumbled an obscenity. The Guildmaster was to Sabre before the boy could notice and grabbed the scratch. He turned sharply and Sabre soared through the air and landed in the water. He came up coughing and heard splashing behind him. He swung blindly and the Guildmaster caught his arm and twisted it behind his back.

"It's odd. You came here hoping to take my soul. But you should have considered things more thoroughly. You should have considered that I train heroes. I train them to the peak of their skill. Don't you think it reasonable that I be as powerful as most of them?"

Sabre turned the arrow he was going to use before he had been thrown in his hand and thrust it back. He felt it hit flesh and the Guildmaster shouted in pain. Sabre leaned forward and touched the bottom of the creek and kicked back. He didn't have time to look back but expected the loud splash was the Guildmaster falling back from a kick to the face. He lifted himself back up onto the shore and sprinted off towards the woods. He turned to get around part of the fence and saw a black arrow strike the post. Sabre's foot slid and his pace quickened and he ran through the archway into the woods. He didn't like the illusion running away gave but he had no choice. He couldn't possibly take the Guildmaster alone in hand-to-hand combat and the old man had proved more than formidable when he had used weapons. So he had to stay away as long as possible trying to devise a strategy to use.

* * *

Avatar stepped out of the Cullis Gate into the Heroes Guild. Briar Rose followed closely behind him. The Guild was silent and empty. The bartender was even gone.

"Where do you suppose they've all gone?" Briar asked looking up the stairs.

"Asleep for most of them but I think the Guildmaster knew that Sabre was coming. Sabre doesn't have a chance but he seems adamant in his decision about the Guildmaster."

"How do you know he's not right?" Briar blurted out.

"Briar!" Avatar looked at her in shock.

"I'm sorry. But it does seem odd to you that even after what Maleficus has done, the Guildmaster still wants Sabre dead for what he had done. Maleficus killed an innocent girl. Sabre killed someone who had been terrorizing all of Albion."

"We need to find them." Avatar rushed down the stairs into the tavern and they began their search.

* * *

"How did you ever defeat Maleficus?" the Guildmaster walked calmly through the woods looking up into the trees. "Was it his recklessness or just blind luck? I know he would not have fallen very easily to someone like you. There had to be something that played in there. What was it?"

He was met with silence as he turned a corner. Sabre had been careful not to leave any trace of where he had gone in the woods. He even made sure not to breathe.

"I've heard plenty about you. Had you not killed Maleficus, you might have become a hero. One of the greatest. You had the potential, the ferocity. All you needed was guidance. That's all Avatar needed as well. He had so much rage built up inside of him. All I had to do was point him in the right direction and he became a legend."

Sabre gripped the tree tightly and stretched his neck back. The Guildmaster was inches from him now. Vines and foliaged blocked the Guildmaster's actual vision of him.

"I can imagine that's all that the mob needed all those years ago when they burnt your parents. A little guidance. Fear of the necromancers destroying the fair Knothole Glade scared them into action."

Sabre swung his legs down quietly and moved around the foliage. He landed noiselessly behind the Guildmaster and drove an arrow upward into his back. Sabre forced the arrow in and then stepped back ready for the response.

"You aimed for my heart." The Guildmaster said.

He turned and Sabre saw the tip of his arrow turned upward sticking out of the Guildmaster's chest.

"You missed." He tore the arrow from his chest and held it outward. "I won't."

The Guildmaster flung the arrow and it stuck in Sabre's abdomen. He fell back and held the bloodied arrow lodged in his belly. Sabre grunted as he took the shaft in his hand and tore it out. He dropped the arrow and turned to run. The Guildmaster grabbed Sabre by the back of his collar and swung him against a tree. The tree began to lean towards the Guildmaster but Sabre put his hand against it.

Sabre coughed for lack of air in his lungs but gasped the word. "No."

The Guildmaster stopped and cocked his head to one side. "Did you say no?" he looked up at the tree as it moved back. "Ah, yes. Your affinity for such things. You should have accepted the help."

The Guildmaster took Sabre's head and slammed it against the ground. That side of Sabre's face spiked in pain and he struggled against the strength forcing him down. He managed to slip his head out from the grip and tackled at the Guildmaster. He was flung down into the dirt and rolled over hoping to counter any attack coming at him. Instead, the Guildmaster grabbed his legs and swung him into the nearest tree. Sabre cried out and the Guildmaster swung him again. Sabre grunted and kicked his feet out making contact with the Guildmaster's face and he hit the ground. Sabre crawled away and under a bush. He had been careless though and left an obvious trail. A hand came down and crushed Sabre under the force of it. He gasped for air and was pulled violently from the bush.

"When Avatar finally gets that soul. When he finally gets past the Bronze Gate to confront Jack and Maleficus, what do you think will happen. Do you think he'll defeat them both and walk away and again be crowned the champion of Albion. Only one hero may pass and that hero will be Avatar and he will die because he will be alone. Do you think he could take them both?"

"No." Sabre said struggling against the grip on his vest. "But he won't be alone. I intend to be with him."

"And what makes you think you'll survive this?" the Guildmaster grinned.

His question was answered without words as he felt the wavy blade of the Solus Greatsword pierce his skin and slice his spine. He let go of Sabre who fell to the ground. The blade slowly slid all the way through down to the hilt and the Guildmaster felt Avatar's massive hand on his shoulder.

"As it was with Twinblade." Sabre said wiping his mouth. "You pay for what you've wrought."

The blade slid out with a sickening sound and the Guildmaster fell forward on the ground. Sabre looked up to see Avatar holding the bloody blade that he had just sheathed in the Guildmaster's back.

"Are you all right?" Avatar asked without looking at Sabre.

Sabre felt over the exposed skin down to his abdomen where the skin had been opened from an arrow. "I've been worse but that doesn't change the fact that this hurts like hell."

Avatar offered an outstretched hand and helped Sabre to his feet.

"So you were right." Avatar said. "The Guildmaster really was serving Jack and Maleficus."

Sabre felt the healing energy Avatar was using and felt the hole where the arrow had been close. He stood up straight now without any pain.

"Aye. He gave the same reason Twinblade gave. Maleficus is a god." Sabre scoffed.

"No he's not." Avatar's gaze didn't leave the body in front of him. "He's flesh and blood. He _can_ be killed. So can Jack. I'll see to it that they are."

Avatar took the mask from Sabre and held it out. The Guildmaster's body disappeared in a blue mist and was absorbed into the mask.

"I'm coming with you." Sabre said.

"The Bronze Gate will only allow one…"

"Hero." Sabre interrupted. "I'm no hero. Don't you just love loopholes?"

Avatar looked at him to see not even a hint of humor and nodded. He wasn't in the mood for arguing. He just wanted to end the corruption and the evil. He wanted to kill Maleficus and Jack.

* * *

"They'll be here soon." Jack said.

"Then they'll die soon." Maleficus responded.

"I will kill Avatar. You will take care of the boy. Do you think you can handle that this time?"

"I'm fully capable of defeating a snot nosed brat!" Maleficus snarled.

"You said that when you first went after him."

"I was reckless." Maleficus grumbled. "And he doesn't have his precious trees to help him this time. They will die, I assure you my lord."

* * *

Avatar stood in front of the wide chasm in the wall that was known as the Bronze Gate. The third soul had done what was needed and now Sabre stood at his side fully healed and craving revenge. He wanted to destroy Maleficus and every chance he had of coming back again. The terror would end here.

"I don't know exactly what will be in there." Avatar said gripping his sword.

"It doesn't matter." Sabre said. "I don't expect to live through this."

* * *

**The next chapter is the last one. I'm not sure if that destroys any of the suspense for what's to come. If it does, I'm sorry. But I can't stretch a fight over two chapters. If I can and still make it interesting, then I will but don't get your hopes up. Review and tell me what you think of this so far.**


	18. An End to All Things Pure

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters.**

Rebecca's hand slowly lowered and touched Sabre's cheek. He longed for her touch so much since she had left him. Since Maleficus had returned.

"Don't fight this." Rebecca said smiling.

She knelt down in front of Sabre who had fallen to his hands and knees. His eyes had gone bloodshot and veins were bulging in his temple. Sabre exhaled sharply through his teeth. He knew something wasn't right. He could feel it somewhere. Rebecca's hand felt under his chin and lifted his gaze to hers. She smiled at him and he could feel his heart melt. She was so beautiful. Every inch of her seemed to glow with an ethereal light. Clothed in the same dress she wore before she died. Sabre so badly wanted to take hold of her and just keep her. Never to let go again.

"Stop this." He managed to strain his voice enough that it was audible.

"Stop what?" Rebecca said.

She reached up with her other hand and she now had hold of either side of his face.

"Stop loving you? Is that what you want?"

Sabre's expression changed instantly to panic. "No! Please. Don't leave me. Don't leave me again. Please!"

He reached up but his hands ached and bled. He wanted to touch her but he was afraid he would soil the beauty. He was afraid that if he touched her, his blood would ruin her. The world had collapsed around Sabre and now he was left with the most beautiful girl in the world and he couldn't even touch her. He wanted to scream but every time he spoke, he wanted to claw at his throat to stop the pain. Tears ran down his face from his pleading with her.

"Sabre." Rebecca's voice softly called him.

Sabre tried to look up but he felt a heavy burden on his shoulders.

"Sabre. Look at me, please. I want to see your face." Rebecca said.

He slowly lifted his head up to look at her. She smiled down at him and brought his face close to hers. Sabre did the rest as he took her shoulders and kissed her. She felt so warm and wonderful. He felt his burden rise and his hands stopped aching. Rebecca wrapped her arms around Sabre's neck and returned the kiss. And then Sabre felt the ground again. He was again bombarded with heat and pain. Rebecca was gone and in her place was nothing. Sabre felt the ground in front of him hoping she would return and looked about him. Still nothing except a smug Maleficus grinning down at him. Sabre instantly realized what had happened but he was praying that he was wrong. He could still hear Avatar fighting with the dragon. They had entered the Bronze Gate and Jack revealed himself as the massive dragon he was now. Maleficus arrived briefly after to burn away Sabre's will to survive. Sabre clenched at the dirt on the ground in anger. He lunged upward and Maleficus moved to the side pushing Sabre to the ground.

"Bastard!" Sabre yelled swiping with the Cutlass at Maleficus.

Maleficus easily avoided a flurry of blows from Sabre with a wide grin on his face the entire time.

"You see now how anger blinds someone?" Maleficus said over the sounds of the dragon and Sabre yelling.

The walkway they were on connected to a large circular platform on which Avatar was fighting Jack. Far below them was a massive lake of lava tempting Maleficus to throw his opponent in.

"You're only hurting yourself by being angry with me. Give in and feel the bliss of inevitable death."

Sabre was to his feet again and swung back over Maleficus' ducking head. Maleficus countered with a straight strike to Sabre's face knocking him off balance. Sabre stumbled back into the gate blocking him from the other fight. He didn't want to lose sight of Maleficus so he had to assume the grunts and roars were signs that Avatar was winning.

The dragon flew low towards Avatar breathing fire down along the ground. Avatar dove away and stood back up fending off Minions and the like. He turned to see Sabre's back against the gate and Maleficus advancing towards him. Avatar swung back and killed a Minion and saw the dragon land. He ran straight for it preparing his blade and swung down. It roared in pain and snapped out at him just missing him but sending him to the ground.

"What are you without your friends?" Maleficus asked Sabre looking around. "What are you without the trees? They help you travel; they help you kill your enemies. You're nothing."

Sabre grimaced as he got back to his feet and held the Cutlass with both hands. Maleficus was standing very close but would most likely dodge. He had to try anyway. The blade came up unexpectedly but Sabre felt it halt. Maleficus' outstretched hand now held the blade down. He tore it from Sabre's hand and threw it behind him. The Cutlass clattered to the ground far behind Maleficus and he approached Sabre even closer.

"Please. You killed me once. I know what you're capable of. I, on the other hand, have changed. Jack reviving me has increased my powers three-fold. I'm no longer reckless."

Maleficus' fingers inched towards Sabre's throat. The tip of his middle finger touched Sabre's skin before the boy finally slapped his hand away. Maleficus frowned and shot his hand forward. Sabre ducked and dove between his legs latching his feet to Maleficus' ankles. Maleficus fell forward and quickly clambered back to his feet and turned to face Sabre. Sabre, unlike Maleficus, was still on the ground. Maleficus flipped him over and put his foot down on Sabre's throat.

"That was stupid of you, boy."

Sabre coughed and tried to force the foot up with no success. Everything began to darken from lack of air and Sabre could soon only see Maleficus' face.

"What did Twinblade tell you when you killed him?" Maleficus said easing his foot up only slightly.

Sabre's vision returned and he gasped for air.

"He told you something. He had to. I know Twinblade likes to talk even though he's not very good at it. But to tear away his ribcage. There was more motivation there than just your woman dying."

Rage built up in Sabre at the mention of Rebecca with such disrespect. He went back to remember what Twinblade had said. He had told Sabre that Maleficus was no man. He was a god. A god of unfathomable and unimaginable power. Gods were invulnerable. They had no weakness. But Maleficus was a _man_.

"He said you were a god." Sabre rasped.

"Ah, how true." Maleficus mused.

"I'd like to test that." Sabre said.

With those words, Sabre brought his leg up and kicked with all the strength he had in between Maleficus' legs. Maleficus grunted and the pressure on Sabre's throat was relieved. Both of them gasped and Maleficus fell back holding his crotch. He landed on the ground and when he moved his hands aside, he saw a huge dent in his armor. The actual pain of being kicked in such a manner reached him and his stomach churned. Sabre limped back holding his leg. He hadn't thought of the consequences of kicking someone in plate armor. He rubbed his leg which had taken the shock of the kick.

"Damn plate armor." He muttered and then came to his senses. "Some god. You're a man. And I wouldn't even consider you a man. Men feel compassion. Men feel love. I already know you to be incapable of these."

Sabre turned and picked up the Cutlass and began his limp towards Maleficus. Maleficus, still taking the shock of being kicked so harshly, tried to stand up but failed. His leg slid out from under him and he hit the ground sending another sharp pain into his stomach. He winced and breathed heavily. Sabre reached him and raised the blade to strike. It was met as it came down by Maleficus' hand slapping it aside. Sabre grunted as his balance was shifted to his injured leg and he fell to the ground. He forsook the blade and pulled Maleficus away from the gate, which he was leaning on. Sabre slammed his head down breaking Maleficus' nose splattering blood down over his mouth.

"What god feels pain?" Sabre growled. "What god bleeds?"

Sabre pinned Maleficus' arms down and grabbed the collar of his armor. He put dents in the arms of the armor as he pulled at the chest piece and slowly cracked it. His earlier rage contributed and he forgot his pain. His vengeance was almost complete. He had this man to kill and then he himself could die knowing that he had done something good. The armor cracked and broke away. Sabre fell back with a metal chest piece in his hands. He tossed it away into the lava and stood back up. Maleficus slowly stood up still not quite recovered from his earlier pain.

"You think I need my armor to kill you?" Maleficus laughed.

He slid the rest of it off and his black robes flowed out.

"I know you need your armor. Much like I need the trees of a forest. Now we're even." Sabre crouched slightly and held his fists up for an actual brawl.

Maleficus laughed loudly. "You think now that you've rid me of my armor that I'll fight you with my fists?"

His fists crackled with lightning. "I use magic boy! Remember?"

This hadn't occurred to Sabre until now and he cursed his faulty memory. Maleficus' outstretched hand surged and lightning shot out into Sabre's chest. He hit the wall behind him and fell to the ground convulsing. Maleficus walked towards Sabre without releasing his electrical grip on the boy.

"I am a god!" Maleficus yelled. "What man could harness this power?"

Sabre writhed on the ground trying to escape the arch of lightning hitting his chest. Sabre stopped moving after a few minutes and Maleficus released his grip. He knelt down in front of Sabre and turned his chin upward. He was still alive as his eyes still held the hatred for the man he was seeing now.

"When before had I wronged you?" Maleficus asked. "You stole the bow that was rightly mine. You could have given it to me and I wouldn't have bothered you any further. But you had to be the typical boy and be defiant!"

Maleficus kicked Sabre's ribs in anger.

"And then I wanted the bow but you said no. So you _killed _me. Not very kind of you at all."

Maleficus went forward to grab Sabre's shoulder but his wrist was caught by Sabre's hand. When he tried to break free, Sabre pushed him down to his knees.

"What are you doing?" Maleficus asked panicked.

He struggled again but Sabre held even tighter and his wrist began to ache. Both were on their knees in front of each other. Maleficus couldn't see Sabre's face as it was facing downward. An arrow slid down from his free hand and Maleficus realized his intent. Maleficus prepared to ready a fireball but the arrow came up under his armpit and inside of his ribcage. Maleficus grunted and his hand dropped to Sabre's arm. Sabre jerked his arm and the arrow went in deeper.

"You'll never be rid of me." Maleficus grunted. "I'll haunt you as long as you live."

Sabre glared at him and struggled against the hindering arm that Maleficus held against his. They had managed to lock their arms into a grapple where progress was impossible. Blood dripped out of Maleficus' mouth as he spat his words at Sabre.

"What will you do if you kill me? You had nothing but revenge. If you achieve that, what will you do?"

"Are you scared, Maleficus?" Sabre's words were barely audible.

"What?"

"Are you scared?"

"Gods don't fear anything, boy. Maybe you'll understand that some day."

"Then why does your voice shake? Why does your hand try to stop mine? Gods don't die."

Sabre turned his waist sharply and Maleficus was over the edge holding onto Sabre's arms.

"You're coming with me if I'm to die!" Maleficus snarled.

His hands clawed at Sabre's arms leaving long red streaks down his forearms. Sabre's face showed no sign of struggle. He just twisted the arrow until Maleficus cried out in pain. They remained locked in this position until Sabre let go of Maleficus' wrist. He released the arrow and Maleficus held onto the one arm Sabre had not taken away.

"What will you do?" Maleficus yelled. "Revenge is all you have left!"

Sabre grabbed Maleficus' wrist and pried it away slowly. Sabre then scraped his arms against the ground and Maleficus couldn't hold on. Maleficus looked up to see the last thing he would ever see. The emotionless face of a boy. The eyes held nothing but hatred for him. He felt the burn of death in his legs as it consumed the rest of him. Sabre rolled over onto his back breathing heavily. He could no longer hear the sounds of battle. He had no assumptions about the fight. He would have rejoiced at his revenge being complete but his body ached too much. His chest was burnt and the skin was most likely permanently destroyed. He managed to make it to his knees before he heard the clang of Avatar's footsteps approaching him.

"Maleficus is dead." Sabre said quietly.

"I know." The voice sound like a combination of Avatar's voice and pure evil.

Sabre looked up to see all that was Avatar as well as Jack's mask. His heart skipped a beat at the sight.

"All men crave power."

Sabre cringed at the voice. He couldn't tell who it was anymore. The spirit of Jack had gone into the mask and tempted Avatar to wear it. Even he was incapable of resisting power that the mask offered. Immortality. Unfathomable power. All of it had been promised to Avatar. And now Jack controlled him.

"So now you'll use Avatar as a vessel for your bidding?" Sabre asked.

Avatar took the Solus in his hands and pointed it towards Sabre's chest.

"I told you what I expected of this." Sabre said.

Avatar drove the blade down and he heard it chink off the ground behind Sabre. Blood splattered down onto the ground and ran down the blade. Sabre looked at the hilt of the sword lodged in his chest. He couldn't feel it and he couldn't feel the past pains of the fight with Maleficus. Avatar walked around him and left Sabre to die. Sabre wanted his last memory to be of Rebecca. He remembered everything about her and embraced the death coming to him. No more suffering.

The death of Sabre marked the end of the battle with Jack of Blades. Avatar's will had not held up against his own strive for power. So now, Jack of Blades inhabited the greatest hero to ever live. In the years to come, Avatar would resurface to combat the dominant being. In a brilliant last battle, Avatar would kill them both and bring the final peace to Albion. Though in the time for his struggle to come out, the embodiment would have destroyed what was left of the scattered Heroes Guild. As for Sabre, none would speak his name unless to praise him for killing the Scourge of Albion, Maleficus. Unfortunately, all that was left for them to praise was a name. Sabre.

* * *

**So this didn't work out the way I wanted it to. And I'm really sorry for that. But this is the final chapter. I couldn't think of any other way to really end it, so I just kinda went with this. Anyway, I'm now working on researching for my story that will be printed on fictionpress. You should check it out when I start it. The profile is the same as this one. Pope-Man.**


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